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Cotrimoxazole for childhood febrile illness in Malaria-endemic regions


PB Bloland
SC Redd
PN Kazembe
R Tembenu
JJ Wirima
CC Campbell

Abstract

The efficacy of co-trimoxozole for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in children younger than 5 years of age was evaluated in Malawi. 46 children with P. falciparum parasitaemia, 37% of whom also met clinical criteria for a diagnosis of acute lower respiratory tract infection, were treated with 20 mglkg co-trimoxazole twice daily for five days. Parasitaemia (mean clearance time 2.7 days) and symptoms were rapidly abolished and improvement was maintained during follow-up for 14 days. Co-trimoxazole may be an effective single treatment for febrile illness in young children in areas where malaria is endemic, resources are few, and diagnosis must rely on clinical findings alone.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1995-7262
print ISSN: 1995-7270