Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for the treatment of acute malaria in children in Papua New Guinea. I. Plasmodium falciparum.
Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria is increasing in prevelance in Papua New Guinea and alternative therapies for acute malaria are being sought. A trial of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for the treatment of acute falciparum malaria in children has been carried out in Madang, Papau New Guinea. Eighty-five children were treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, either alone or in combination with a single 10 mg/kg dose of chloroquine. Of 78 children completing 28-days follow-up, treatment failures occurred in 15 (19.2%) and of these, 8 (10.3%), are believed to be sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistant; the others remain equivocal. There was no advantage in this study in combining a single dose of chloroquine with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine; indeed, this combination was associated with an increased incidence of vomiting. It is argued that sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine should not become the standard presumptive treatment for acute malaria in Papua New Guinea.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009512:New Guinea; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013424:Sulfanilamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004338:Drug Combinations; D013424:Sulfanilamides; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D002738:Chloroquine; D011739:Pyrimethamine