ter Kuile, F., F. Nosten, M. Thieren, C. Luxemburger, M.D. Edstein, T. Chongsuphajaisiddhi, L. Phaipun, H.K. Webster, and N.J. White, High-dose mefloquine in the treatment of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1992. 166(6): p. 1393-400. [PubMed Link]
The therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of a high-dose (25 mg/kg) mefloquine regimen (M25) and the currently recommended regimen of 15 mg/kg (M15) were compared in 199 patients with acute falciparum malaria in an area with deteriorating multidrug resistance on the Thai-Burmese border. The clinical and parasitologic responses were significantly more rapid with M25. The incidence of treatment failures by day 7-9 was 7% for M15 and 1% for M25 (P = .03) and had increased to 40% and 9%, respectively, by day 28 (P < .0001). Overall failure rates were highest in children (P = .02). Parasite clearance times were a good predictor of the therapeutic response; all patients with parasitemia persisting > 5 days after treatment experienced subsequent recrudescence. Side effects were dose-related and included dizziness, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Although vomiting < 1 h after treatment was more likely in young children, children overall tolerated mefloquine better than adults, and men better than women. The optimum treatment dose of mefloquine in this area is 25 mg/kg.

ter Kuile, F., F. Nosten, T. Chongsuphajaisiddhi, P. Holloway, L. Maelankirri, and N.J. White, Absorption of intramuscular phenobarbitone in children with severe falciparum malaria. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 1992. 42(1): p. 107-10. [PubMed Link]
The absorption of intramuscular phenobarbitone 7 mg.kg-1 was studied in 11 Karen children aged between 1.7 and 11 y with severe falciparum malaria. Eight of the children were comatose. Clinical findings were compared with those in 9 further children with severe malaria of similar age range (four of whom were unconscious), who received an identical placebo. One child, who had received placebo, had repeated convulsions and died 1 h after admission to hospital. The remainder made an uncomplicated recovery. There were no convulsions subsequent to treatment, although the study was too small to assess anticonvulsant efficacy. There was no observable toxicity, but phenobarbitone recipients had a significant tendency to deepen in their level of coma or to become sleepy within the 4 h after drug administration. Phenobarbitone was rapidly absorbed, reaching a mean (range) peak concentration of 34.2 [29.3-42.6] mumol.l-1 in a median (range) of 4 (2.5-12) h. These values are comparable to those previously reported in healthy children and in children with febrile convulsions. Intramuscular phenobarbitone is well absorbed in children with severe malaria; the optimum prophylactic anticonvulsant dose remains to be determined.

White, N.J., D. Waller, J. Crawley, F. Nosten, D. Chapman, D. Brewster, and B.M. Greenwood, Comparison of artemether and chloroquine for severe malaria in Gambian children. Lancet, 1992. 339: p. 317-21. [PubMed Link]
Artemether is an oil-soluble methyl ether of artemesinin (qinghaosu). It has been studied extensively in China, where it has been shown to be rapidly effective in severe falciparum malaria. Nearly all the patients studied previously were adults. We have investigated the efficacy of artemether in children with moderate or severe falciparum malaria. In the preliminary study of moderately severe malaria, 30 Gambian children were randomised in pairs to receive either intramuscular artemether (4 mg/kg loading dose followed by 2 mg/kg daily) or intramuscular chloroquine ('Nivaquine') 3.5 mg base/kg every 6 h. Both drugs were well tolerated and rapidly effective. The times to parasite clearance were significantly shorter in the artemether recipients (mean 36.7 [SD 11.3] vs 48.4 [16.8] h, p less than 0.05). 43 children with severe malaria were then randomised to receive intramuscular treatment with the same regimens of artemether (n = 21) or chloroquine (n = 22) as used in the preliminary study. 8 children (19%) died. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the clinical, haematological, biochemical, or parasitological measures of therapeutic response in survivors and there was no evidence of local or systemic toxicity. Despite similar parasite counts on admission, clearance times overall were longer in severe malaria than in moderate malaria. Artemether is a well tolerated and rapidly effective parenteral treatment for severe malaria in children, and would be especially valuable in areas with chloroquine-resistant P falciparum.