Cotrimoxazole for childhood febrile illness in malaria-endemic regions

ABSTRACT

The efficacy of co-trimaxozole for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in children younger than 5 years of age was evaluated in Malawi. 46 children with P falciparum parasitaemia; 37 percent of whom also met clinical criteria for acute respiratory tract infection; were treated with 20 mg/kg co-trimaxozole twice daily for five days. Parasitaemia (mean clearance time 2.7 days) and syptoms were rapidly abolished and improvement was maintained during the follow-up 14 days. Co-trimaxozole may be an effecitve single treatment for febrile illness in young children in areas where malaria is endemic; resources are few; and diagnosis must rely on clinical findings alone