Rapid absorption and clinical effectiveness of intragastric mefloquine in the treatment of cerebral malaria in African children.
To obviate the lack of injectable quinine in a hospital in rural Burundi, mefloquine, only available as an oral formulation, was administered (25 mg/kg bodyweight) as a single dose by nasogastric tube to four small children with cerebral malaria. All patients recovered uneventfully after a mean coma duration of 20.5 h. Mefloquine was rapidly absorbed and therapeutic serum concentrations were achieved within a few hours in all subjects, with parasite reduction ratios after 48 h within the expected range for drug-sensitive parasites. These findings suggest that intragastric mefloquine deserves consideration whenever parenteral drugs are not available for the treatment of cerebral malaria.
Di Perri
G
G
The Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases of the University of Verona, Italy. diperri@borgotrento.univ
Olliaro
P
P
Ward
S
S
Allegranzi
B
B
Bonora
S
S
Concia
E
E
D000042:Absorption; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015767:Mefloquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000962:Antimalarials; D015767:Mefloquine