Fig. 2
Falciparum malaria pathophysiology interferes with oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues on multiple levels. Oxygen delivery depends on heart rate, stroke volume, haemoglobin level and arterial oxygen saturation. Changes in one parameter can normally be compensated for by others. However, the key elements of falciparum malaria pathophysiology (grey boxes) do not just interfere with all components of oxygen delivery simultaneously, but they may also augment each other. If the capabilities for compensation are limited by pre-existing chronic co-morbidities, development of life-threatening complications such as metabolic acidosis and shock is facilitated. In a recent study from India, for instance, Mohanty et al. demonstrated that clinical and radiologic findings in cerebral malaria are largely consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) [40]. Hypertension is one of the known etiologies of PRES. Abbreviations: ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; CaO2, arterial oxygen content; CO, cardiac output; DO2, oxygen delivery; haemoglobin level; HR, heart rate; PaO2, partial arterial oxygen pressure; RBC, red blood cell; SaO2, arterial oxygen saturation; SV, stroke volume; SVR, systemic vascular resistance