BMJ  2005;330 (12 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7487.0-a

Artemether is as good as quinine for cerebral malaria in children

Rectal therapy with artemether is effective and well tolerated for cerebral malaria in children. Aceng and colleagues (p 334) randomised 103 Ugandan children aged 6 months to 5 years to intravenous quinine or rectal artemether for seven days. They found no significant differences in any of the outcomes (time to clearance of parasites and fever, time to regaining consciousness, starting oral intake, or sitting unaided), but the death rate was lower in children treated with artemether (relative risk 1.29, 95% confidence interval 0.84 to 2.01).

Credit: ANDY CRUMP/TDR/WHO

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Rectal artemether versus intravenous quinine for the treatment of cerebral malaria in children in Uganda: randomised clinical trial

Jane Ruth Aceng, Justus S Byarugaba, and James K Tumwine
BMJ 2005 330: 334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]