Audit of failure rate of Coartem to treat falciparum malaria at single fourteen day follow up

Objective: To assess the failure rate of the new first line treatment regime for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in KwaZulu-Natal of Coartem tablets (20mg aftemether and 120mg lumefantrine - Novartis South Africa (PTY Ltd. Design: A before-after study. Setting: Ndumo Clinic, Ingwavuma District, K...

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Main Authors: C.H. Vaughan Williams, C. La Cock, G.F.J. Henry, A.J. Ross
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2002-03-01
Series:South African Family Practice
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Online Access:https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/2055
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Summary:Objective: To assess the failure rate of the new first line treatment regime for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in KwaZulu-Natal of Coartem tablets (20mg aftemether and 120mg lumefantrine - Novartis South Africa (PTY Ltd. Design: A before-after study. Setting: Ndumo Clinic, Ingwavuma District, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, February 2001. Study Group: 67 patients presenting to Ndumo clinic with uncomplicated malaria, diagnosed by symptoms and positive immunochromographic test for plasmodium falciparum. Main outcome measures: All 58 follow-up slides obtained were negative. 8 patients failed to return, and 1 slide washed off. Only 43 smears were positive at day 0 of which 36 had follow-up smears. Conclusions: No resistance to Coartem was shown at day 4, and Coartem has been shown to be more effective at clearing falciparum malaria parasites than a previous regime of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine with chlorine.
ISSN:2078-6190
2078-6204