A controlled clinical therapeutic study in hospitalized patients compared artesunate with quinine and mefloquine in patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Forty two patients entered the trial and the follow up was for 28 days with thick blood film taken every 12 hours untill became negative. Laboratory examinations included haematological and biochemical tests before and after treatment. Patients had a mean parasitaemia of 42.568 per microlitre. Twenty six patients completed 28 days of follow up but 16 did not fulfil this protocol. One in each of the therapeutic groups showed delayed R I resistance. A further patient in the quinine group showed R III resistance. The cure rate was 88.8% for artesunate, 85.7% for mefloquine and 81.8% for quinine; no significant difference was found, the same occurring with the clearance of fever. The artesunate group had a quicker parasitaemia clearance time (37.3 ± 11.5 hours) when compared with quinine (65.2 ± 17.4) showing a significant diference (p = 0.0016). Parasite clearance with mefloquine, was intermediate (58.9 ± 16.6 ours) between the artesunate and quinine. No important side effects were observed with any of the therapeutic regimens and no deaths registered.
Malaria; Artemisinin; Artesunate; Clinic assay
