Estudo da eficácia e tolerância do artesunato oral isolado e em associação com mefloquina, no tratamento da malária falciparum não complicada em área endêmica do Pará, Brasil

Abstract

With the objective to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of artesunate in the treatment of non-complicatedfalciparum malaria in endemic area of the State of Pará, 153 patients were randomized and studied in three groups, distributed by therapeutical scheme (I received mefloquine lOOOmg, II used artesunate 600mg followed by mefloquine 500mg). Evaluation was made by daily clinical and parasithological examination, in the first 7 days, and weekly until the 35th day of the follow up. Biochemical and hematological analysis previously done and on the 7th day, targetting cure control and identification of possible effects related to drugs administration. As to sex, parasitemy and fever, studied groups were homogeneous. Time for parasitemy disappearence was shorter in the groups II and III respectively, whose therapeutical schemes had artesunate. Fever disappereance was quicker in the group treated with the combination of drugs. Clinical and biochemical alterations associated with drugs administration did not show significant differences among the studied groups. Early disappearence of fever and parasitemy, and absence of important side effects suggest that artesunate, isolated or administrated in combination with mefloquine, constitutes an able therapeutical procedure to contribute for disease control in that region.