Efficacy of Artequick versus artesunate-mefloquine in the treatment of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Thailand.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
;
2008 Jan; 39(1): 1-8
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-33676
ABSTRACT
To determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of an alternative short-course, artemisinin-based combination therapy for acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, we compared Artequick--a fixed-dosed combination of artemisinin (80 mg), piperaquine (400 mg), and primaquine (4 mg), per tablet--with a standard regimen of artesunate-mefloquine. A total of 130 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with an orally administered, once-daily, 3-day regimen of either Artequick (Group A 3.2 mg/Kg/day of artemisinin, 16 mg/Kg/day of piperaquine, and 0.16 mg/Kg/day of primaquine) or artesunate-mefloquine (Group B artesunate, 4 mg/Kg/day, with mefloquine, 8 mg/Kg/day). Patients receiving each regimen had a rapid clinical and parasitological response. All treatments were well tolerated, and no serious adverse effects occurred. No significant differences were found in fever- and parasite-clearance times between the two study groups. The 28-day cure rates were similarly high, at 98.5% and 100%, in groups A and B, respectively. We conclude that Artequick was as effective and well tolerated as artesunate-mefloquine and could be used as an alternative treatment for multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Primaquine
/
Quinolines
/
Thailand
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Mefloquine
/
Acute Disease
/
Prospective Studies
/
Adolescent
Type of study:
Controlled clinical trial
/
Observational study
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
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