The effect of combination of chloroquine with sulfadoxine pyrimethamine on patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria

ABSTRACT

The effect of chloroquine, sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine and chloroquine plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine were studied on 97 patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. 53. 1 per cent of the patients were resistant to chloroquine at R2 and R3 level. Among patients treated with sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine, 25 per cent were resistant to the same level. But, when chloroquine is combined with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine only 12.1 per cent of the patients were resistant at R2 level. There were no patients who were resistant at R3 level to the combined drugs. All the patients were free from toxicity that can be related to the two drugs. Apart from simple additive effect, there may also have the potentiating effect of combining two drugs. Hence for a developing country like Myanmar with the problem of multidrug resistance, this method of treatment may be considered for semi-immune patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria.