Learners are called by nurse to evaluate a 34-year-old woman to rule out sepsis. On taking a full history it is determined that they have recently returned from a trip to rural Ghana. Patient is acutely unwell with fever, headache, stiff neck. The learners are expected to construct carryout appropriate initial investigations and empirical management for sepsis and meningitis with appropriate antibiotic cover. The patient will deteriorate and have a tonic-clonic seizure.  The learners are expected to manage this appropriately and arrange appropriate aftercare.

Learning Goals & Objectives

Educational Goal:

• To provide learners with the opportunity to develop reasoning skills for and manage the presentation of illness in a returning traveller

Medical Objectives:

• Recognise high risk groups for malaria
• Establish a definitive or presumptive diagnosis of malaria
• Establish basic differential diagnosis of malaria
• Establish basic differential diagnosis for critically ill returned traveller and presumptively treat life threats
• Identify and treat the complications of severe malaria
• Identify resources for assistance in the management of malaria and other tropical diseases
• Recognise hypoglycaemia, severe acidosis, renal failure, ARDS and seizures as complications of severe malaria