title: Short report: in vivo sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to halofantrine in southern central Vietnam.
abstract: Drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is present in Vietnam. We assessed the in vivo sensitivity of P. falciparum to halofantrine in two villages in the southern part of central Vietnam. Halofantrine (8 mg/kg x 3 doses) was administered to 37 patients with either P. falciparum (n = 32) or mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax malaria (n = 5). End points were parasite sensitivity or resistance (RI/RII/RIII) determined by parasite clearance, persistence, or recurrence during 28 days of follow-up. By day 28, 31 (93.9%) of 33 (95% confidence interval = 79.8-99.2%) patients were sensitive. Two patients had recurrent P. falciparum parasitemia on days 14 and 21. Halofantrine effectively treated uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in these Vietnamese patients.
authors.affiliation: U. S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2, Jakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Hanh Nhan
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: Walter R J
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Dieu Thuong
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Thi Uyen
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fryauff
authors.forename: Ika
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Susanti
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Saladín
authors.forename: Dinh Cong
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: J Kevin
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Baird
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D012008:Recurrence; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C023768:halofantrine