Primaquine Prophylaxis against Malaria
Authors: Michele Barry
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters16 March 1999Primaquine Prophylaxis against MalariaMichele Barry, MDMichele Barry, MDYale University School of Medicine; New Haven, CT 06520 (Barry)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-130-6-199903160-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Soto and colleagues try to demonstrate that primaquine prophylaxis is efficacious against malaria in nonimmune Colombian soldiers (1). Despite an impressive difference between placebo and primaquine groups, the follow-up of 3 weeks in a nonmalarious area is far too short to prove whether P. falciparum or P. vivax malaria were prevented. Rather, Plasmodia species may have been suppressed. Moreover, the authors' definition of malaria did not include low-level parasitemia if study patients did not have symptoms compatible with malaria. One cannot extrapolate the findings of this study to a U.S. traveling population because low-level parasitemia in this ...References1. Soto J, Toledo J, Rodriquez M, Sanchez J, Herrera R, Padilla J, et al . Primaquine prophylaxis against malaria in nonimmune Colombian soldiers: efficacy and toxicity. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:241-4. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Na Bangchang K, Davis TM, Looareesuwan S, White NJ, Bunnag D, Karbwang J. Mefloquine pharmokinetics in pregnant women with acute falciparum malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1994;88:321-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Vanhauwere B, Maradit H, Kerr L. Post-marketing surveillance of prophylactic mefloquine (Lariam) use in pregnancy. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1998;58:17-21. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Nosten F, ter Kuile F, Maelankiri L, Changsuphajaisiddhi T, Nopdonrattakoon L, Tangkitchot S, et al . Mefloquine prophylaxis prevents malaria during pregnancy: double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Infect Dis. 1994;169:595-603. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Samuel B, Barry M. The pregnant traveler. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1998;12:325-53. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Michele Barry, MDAffiliations: Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, CT 06520 (Barry) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPrimaquine Prophylaxis against Malaria in Nonimmune Colombian Soldiers: Efficacy and Toxicity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Jaime Soto , Julia Toledo , Maria Rodriquez , Jorge Sanchez , Ricardo Herrera , Julio Padilla , and Jonathan Berman Primaquine Prophylaxis against Malaria Jaime Soto and Jonathan Berman Primaquine Prophylaxis against Malaria D. Gray Heppner Jr. , Robert A. Gasser Jr. , and Kent E. Kester Metrics Cited byDerivation and Validation of a Scoring System to Stratify Risk for Advanced Colorectal Neoplasia in Asymptomatic Adults A Cross-sectional StudyThomas F. Imperiale, MD, Patrick O. Monahan, PhD, Timothy E. Stump, MA, Elizabeth A. Glowinski, RN, and David F. Ransohoff, MDHealth Advice for International Travel 16 March 1999Volume 130, Issue 6Page: 536KeywordsMalariaMefloquineParasitemiaPregnancyPrimaquineProphylaxis ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 16 March 1999 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...