Anaesthetic management of caesarean delivery in a parturient with malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening illness with significant maternal and infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to the rarity of its diagnosis in the UK population, there is little information about the number of pregnant women affected by malaria. This report describes a primiparous woman requiring a category-1 emergency caesarean section for severe sepsis, in whom the cause of sepsis was found to be Plasmodium vivax malaria. A brief overview of malaria in pregnancy as relevant to this case and its outcome is presented. The report highlights the need for vigilance of all healthcare providers to allow timely recognition and management of rare but treatable disorders.