The primaquine in radical treatment of vivax malaria is given for-

RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2022

Pharmacology

Easy

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2022

Explanation

The standard regimen for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria involves a 14-day course of primaquine.
This duration is necessary to effectively eradicate the dormant parasite forms (hypnozoites) residing in the liver.
Eliminating the hypnozoites is crucial for preventing future relapses of the disease, which is a characteristic feature of P. vivax and P. ovale malaria.

Option A: A 7-day course of primaquine is considered too short to reliably eliminate all liver hypnozoites, leading to a high risk of treatment failure and subsequent relapse.
Option B: A 10-day course is not a recognized standard duration in major treatment guidelines for the radical cure of vivax malaria.
Option D: A 21-day course is longer than the standard recommended duration and is not typically necessary. It would unnecessarily increase the duration of exposure to the drug and potential side effects without providing additional benefit for most patients.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Pharmacology: Duration of Primaquine Therapy for Vivax Malaria helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
The primary clinical goal of using primaquine for 14 days is to prevent relapses, which cause significant morbidity and contribute to the ongoing transmission of malaria.
A critical nursing responsibility is to screen patients for G6PD deficiency before administering primaquine. Giving primaquine to a G6PD-deficient patient can trigger severe, life-threatening hemolytic anemia.
Patient education is vital. Nurses must emphasize the importance of completing the full 14-day course, even if the patient feels better after a few days, to ensure a complete cure and prevent relapse.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key components of the question: the drug (primaquine), the purpose (radical treatment), and the specific disease (P. vivax malaria).
Recognize that 'radical treatment' for vivax malaria specifically refers to eradicating the dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) to prevent relapse.
This is a factual recall question based on standard pharmacological treatment protocols.
Recall the standard duration of therapy for this specific indication. Access your knowledge base on infectious diseases and antimalarial drugs.
Evaluate the given options against the standard protocol. The standard course is 14 days.
Select the option that matches the established guideline, which is '14 days'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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