title: Post-artesunate delayed haemolysis ‒ report of four cases and review of the literature.
abstract: As a result of a huge effort of the international community, the burden of malaria dropped impressively during the last decade. One of the reasons is probably the availability of effective and safe treatments such as artemisinin derivatives. However, along with the greater use of intravenous artesunate recently in severe malaria, as recommended by the World Health Organization, a new adverse event has been described: post-artesunate delayed haemolysis (PADH). It appears after the end of the treatment in a phase of clinical improvement. Even though several causes may act as co-factors, the mechanism of pitting of the infected erythrocytes is most probably the main explanation. After the description of four PADH cases, we hereby present a short review of the current knowledge on this problem.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne et Générale, Département de Médecine interne, de Réhabilitation et de Gériatrie, HUG, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Boillat
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne et Générale, Département de Médecine interne, de Réhabilitation et de Gériatrie, HUG, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spechbach
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hématologie, Département des Spécialités de Médecine, HUG and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chalandon
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Tropicale et Humanitaire, Département de Médecine Communautaire, de Premier Recours et des Urgences, HUG, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eperon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077332:Artesunate; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate