[Acute uncomplicated malaria treatment in children in France in 2002].
OBJECTIVE
Imported P. falciparum malaria cases are rising in France reaching 1300 estimated children in 2000. Three years after the publication of therapeutic guidelines, the Groupe de Pédiatrie Tropicale conducted an observational survey in order to describe the practice of acute uncomplicated malaria treatments in children, to identify their limits and to make proposals to improve them.


METHODS
A self administrated questionnaire has been proposed to 29 pediatric wards declaring over 10 malaria cases in 2000. Questions were focused on treatment practices and monitoring of children diagnosed with acute uncomplicated malaria in 2002.


RESULTS
Twenty-six services, who treated more than 700 children, responded. Twenty-two on 26 services hospitalized systematically malaria cases. Mean duration of hospitalization was 2.2 days (S.D. +/- 0.9). First line treatment was halofantrine in 22 on 26 services and mefloquine in four services. A second halofantrine dose was given systematically at day 7 in three services. No clinical cardiac effects happened. Quinine was used in perfusion only in cases of gastric intolerance. Treatment failure has never been experienced in the 22 services using halofantrine and has been experienced at least once in two on four wards using mefloquine. Relapse occurred at least once in 19 on 22 wards treating with halofantrine.


CONCLUSIONS
Halofantrine with hospitalization is still the leading treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria in children in France. In spite of the absence of clinical cardiac incident, a second cure of halofantrine was not often used, exposing to a high rate of relapse. Mefloquine is three time more used than in 1997, in spite of its digestives side effects that can explain failures of treatment. When done, the systematic clinical and parasitological control confirms failures after mefloquine and the high incidence of relapse after one cure of halofantrine. Only used in case of severity or digestive disorders, quinine is a little less prescribed in acute uncomplicated malaria in 2001 than in 1997.


CONCLUSIONS
The limitations of antimalarial drugs used in France in case of acute malaria argue for an improvement of protocols (systematic second reduced dose of halofantrine after day 7, mefloquine associated with antiemetic drug) and a systematic clinical and parasitological monitoring. As alternative, efficient combinations of antimalarial as first line treatment are needed in France.
Sorge
F
F
Groupe de pédiatrie tropicale de la Société française de pédiatrie, département de pédiatrie, hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, AP-HP, Paris, France. fsorge@wanadoo.fr
Laurent
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000962:Antimalarials