ADVERSE DRUG-REACTIONS ASSOCIATED TO THE ANTIMALARIAL CHEMOPROPHYLAXIS

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the frequency and type of adverse drug reactio ns associated to the antimalarial chemoprophylaxis advised to travelle rs visiting endemic areas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included the trave llers who from july 1992 to june 1994 came to the Travellers Advise De partment and made short-term travels to areas with malarial infection risk, The adverse drug reactions were reported by the travellers throu gh a questionnaire handed at the consulting room. The pharmacological regimens advised were: a) chloroquine base 5 mg/kg/week. b) chloroquin e base 5 mg/kg/week + proguanil 100 mg/day if weight less than 55 kg a nd 200 mg/day if weight more than 55 kg. c) mefloquine 250 mg/week. RE SULTS: We evaluated 1,054 questionnaires for the study. The 18.4% of t he travellers reported adverse drug reactions. The 12.4% of the travel lers who were on chloroquine, the 17.2% of those who were on chloroqui ne + proguanil and the 20.3% from mefloquine group presented adverse d rug reactions (differences without significance). Comparing the regime ns studied, we observed that neuropsychiatric reactions were more freq uent in the mefloquine group (p < 0.01), the gastrointestinal reaction s were less common in the chloroquine group (p = 0.04) and the transit ory eye disorders were more frequent in the chloroquine + proguanil gr oup (p=0.01). In the mefloquine group the travellers with adverse drug reactions had a significantly lower weight than those who did not pre sent them (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The adverse drug reactions reported agree with the toxicologic profile described in the literature about these drugs. Mefloquine presents an outstanding neuropsychiatlic toxic ity and is worse tolerated in low weight patients.