title: Artesunate-amodiaquine efficacy in Congolese children with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Brazzaville.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Congo-Brazzaville adopted artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in 2006. Artesunate-amodiaquine (AS + AQ) and artemether-lumefantrine are the first-line and second-line anti-malarial drugs to treat uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, respectively. The baseline efficacy of AS + AQ was evaluated from February to August 2005 in patients living in Brazzaville, the capital city of the Republic of Congo.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ninety-seven patients (96 ≤ 5 years old and 101 >5 years old, including adults) were recruited in a non-randomized study, treated under supervision with AS + AQ, and were followed up for 28 days in accordance with the 2003 World Health Organization protocol. Plasmodium falciparum recrudescent isolates from day 7 to day 28 were compared to pretreatment isolates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to distinguish between re-infection and recrudescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall efficacy of AS + AQ after PCR correction on day 28 was 94.4%. An adequate clinical and parasitological response was observed in 94.3% and 94.4% of children aged ≤ 5 years old and those aged >5 years old (including adults), respectively. The main reported adverse events were dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea, pruritus, headache, anorexia, and abdominal pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown the high efficacy of AS + AQ in Congolese patients of all ages with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria and serves as the baseline efficacy and tolerance of this ACT in Brazzaville.
authors: Unité de Recherche sur le Paludisme, Centre d'Etudes sur les Ressources Végétales (CERVE), Brazzaville BP 1249, République du Congo. ngoualandounga@yahoo.fr
authors: Mathieu
authors: M
authors: Ndounga
authors: Pembe Issamou
authors: PI
authors: Mayengue
authors: Prisca Nadine
authors: PN
authors: Casimiro
authors: Dieudonné
authors: D
authors: Loumouamou
authors: Leonardo K
authors: LK
authors: Basco
authors: Francine
authors: F
authors: Ntoumi
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Brasseur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000655:Amodiaquine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003223:Congo; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; C515299:amodiaquine, artesunate drug combination; D000655:Amodiaquine
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