THE EFFICACY OF ARTEMETHER IN THE TREATMENT OF PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM MALARIA IN SUDAN

The efficacy of artemether (a qinghaosu derivative) administered intra muscularly for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria was comp ared to quinine in an open randomized trial including 54 patients in e astern Sudan, where chloroquine resistance is common. The artemether t reatment (5 d intramuscular regimen) was effective and the drug was we ll tolerated. All patients had cleared the parasitaemia and were free of symptoms 48 h after initiation of treatment. The parasite clearance time was comparable in patients receiving artemether and quinine. No side effect was reported by patients receiving artemether. No recrudes cence was seen in 21 patients treated with artemether who completed 28 d follow-up. In the quinine group 3 of 18 patients had recrudescences , or possibly reinfections, on days 14, 21 and 28.