A COMPARISON OF AMODIAQUINE AND CHLOROQUINE IN THE TREATMENT THERAPY OF FALCIPARUM-MALARIA IN KENYA

During June to August 1989, 158 symptomatic outpatients with P. falcip arum malaria were randomly treated with either amodiaquine or chloroqu ine 25 mg/kg, divided over three days. Amodiaquine (Camoquin(R), Parke -Davis) was significantly more effective in terms of the rate of paras ite clearance, 2.4 versus 3.1 days; parasite clearance day 7; 87% vers us 41%; and clinical amelioration, 98% versus 68%. Moreover, this stud y demonstrates the lack of therapeutic toxicity of amodiaquine. Global ly, tolerance was better with amodiaquine than with chloroquine; in pa rticular, cutaneous side effects were less frequent with amodiaquine. There was no evidence of granulocyte or gross hepatic toxicity. These results suggest that WHO recommendations concerning amodiaquine should be questioned. In view of its low cost, demonstrated efficacy and lac k of proven therapeutic toxicity, amodiaquine should be considered as a viable replacement for chloroquine in areas with high levels of clin ical chloroquine failure.