LACK OF A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECT OF COMBINED QUININE AND MEFLOQUINE THERAPY FOR UNCOMPLICATED MALARIA

Quinine dihydrochloride (10 mg salt/kg infused over one hour) and mefl oquine (15 mg base/kg)were given simultaneously to 13 adults with unco mplicated falciparum malaria. Supine and standing blood pressures were recorded and the electrocardiogram monitored. Plasma concentrations o f the 2 drugs were similar to those reported previously for the 2 comp ounds given individually to a similar group of patients. Although post ural hypotension was common (6 cases before treatment and 7 after) and the electrocardiogram QT(c) interval was prolonged by a mean of 12% ( SD=8) following drug treatment, there was no evidence of a clinically significant cardiovascular pharmacodynamic interaction between these 2 structurally related antimalarial compounds.