title: Artemisinin for treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria: is there a place for monotherapy?
abstract: The efficacy of artemisinin monotherapy was studied in 227 patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. They all received artemisinin at t = 0 hr, t = 8 hr, and thereafter once daily; treatment was extended at random until they had taken either 5 days of artemisinin followed by 2 days of placebo (A5), or 7 days (A7) of artemisinin. The adult artemisinin dose was 500 mg; children aged < 15 years received 10 mg/kg per dose. The median (range) parasite clearance time was 39 (8-112) hr for A5 and 43 (38-104) hr for A7 (P = 0.085). The recrudescence rates were similar between the groups. The lowest parasite count achieved during treatment (Pterm) was associated with the occurrence of recrudescence (P = 0.046, Cox regression model); it was lower for patients with a radical cure or late recrudescence than for early recrudescence (P = 0.034, t-test). Artemisinin monotherapy may offer rapid recovery and fast parasite clearance, but recrudescence is frequent. Extending the duration of monotherapy from 5 days to 7 days does not reduce recrudescence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Giao
authors.forename: T Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Binh
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kager
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Thang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Nam
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012008:Recurrence; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin