A comparison of artesunate alone with combined artesunate and quinine in the parenteral treatment of acute falciparum malaria.
Author(s): Newton PN, Chierakul W, Ruangveerayuth R, Silamut K, Teerapong P, Krudsood S, Looareesuwan S, White NJ
Affiliation(s): Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Publication date & source: 2001-09, Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg., 95(5):519-23.
Publication type: Clinical Trial; Comparative Study ; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
In some areas clinicians have combined parenteral artesunate and quinine in the belief that the 2 drugs would be additive or synergistic in severe malaria. A randomized comparison of the effectiveness of intravenous (i.v.) artesunate versus i.v. artesunate and i.v. quinine together on parasite clearance was conducted in 1998/99 amongst 69 patients with uncomplicated and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in western Thailand. The parasite clearance time did not differ significantly between the 2 treatment groups (P = 0.12), but adverse events were significantly more frequent in the artesunate plus quinine group (P = 0.05). Quinine did not have a significant antipyretic effect and artesunate did not affect the electrocardiographic QTc interval. There is no benefit evident from combining parenteral administration of these 2 antimalarial drugs in the acute phase of treatment.
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