Eficacia terapéutica de tres esquemas de tratamiento de malaria no complicada por Plasmodium falciparum, Antioquia, Colombia, 2002.
Year: 2003
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: High resistance of Plasmodium falciparum malaria to chloroquine poses malaria as a major public health problem in Colombia. In this context, the therapeutic response of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria patients to chloroquine (CQ), sulfadoxine/pirymethamine (SDXP) and combined therapy (SDXP/CQ) was evaluated according to the WHO/PAHO protocols of 1998. The comparisons were based on a sample of 160 patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Turbo and Zaragoza (Antioquia, Colombia). Patients were randomly assigned each of the treatment categories. The results were statistically similar in each municipality. In Turbo percentage of treatment failure was 87.5%, 22.2% and 22.6% for CQ, SDXP and SDXP/CQ, respectively, whereas in Zaragoza, the corresponding treatment failure was 77.7%, 26.5% and 12.1%. During follow up, 50% of subjects with late treatment failure were asymptomatic in Turbo, while 33.3% were asymptomatic in Zaragoza. A high level of treatment failure occurred with CQ monotherapy, while SDXP and SDXP/CQ had acceptable levels of failure, i.e., below 25%. The high percentage of late treatment failure in asymptomatic patients may contribute to increased risk of persistent transmission.
Source: Biomédica
Authors: Silvia Blair, Mary Luz López, Juan Gabriel Piñeros, Tania Alvarez, Alberto Tobón, Jaime Carmona
Institution: Universidad de Antioquia
Language: Spanish
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1988222641