A prompt diagnosis is eminent to prevent further spread of malaria. Malaria should be acted upon as a medical emergency, therefore you need to see a doctor. When malaria is suspected in a person there should be a laboratory test to confirm the disease. To confirm malaria, a blood smear should be looked at under a microscope. In addition to the specific diagnosis test, a doctor should do an initial work up and ask for a complete blood count and a routine chemistry pannel. These items can be very useful in determining what kind of malaria or the severity that the patient has. The faster malaria is detected the better.