Artemisinin antimalarials in pregnancy: a prospective treatment study of 539 episodes of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum

Clin Infect Dis. 2001 Dec 15;33(12):2009-16. doi: 10.1086/324349. Epub 2001 Nov 9.

Abstract

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum compromises the treatment of malaria, especially during pregnancy, where the choice of antimalarials is already limited. Artesunate (n=528) or artemether (n=11) was used to treat 539 episodes of acute P. falciparum malaria in 461 pregnant women, including 44 first-trimester episodes. Most patients (310 [57.5%]) received re-treatments after earlier treatment with quinine or mefloquine. By use of survival analysis, the cumulative artemisinin failure rate for primary infections was 6.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.0-12.3), compared with the re-treatment failure rate of 21.7% (95% confidence interval, 15.4-28.0; P=.004). The artemisinins were well tolerated with no evidence of adverse effects. Birth outcomes did not differ significantly to community rates for abortion, stillbirth, congenital abnormality, and mean gestation at delivery. These results are reassuring, but further information about the safety of these valuable antimalarials in pregnancy is needed.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / adverse effects
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Artemisinins*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / parasitology*
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Prospective Studies
  • Sesquiterpenes / adverse effects
  • Sesquiterpenes / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • artemisinin