Chloroquine phosphate suppositories in the treatment of childhood malaria in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

In a randomized, prospective study of the therapy of acute falciparum malaria in 69 children, aged 6 to 60 months, the results of treatment with chloroquine phosphate suppositories (30 patients) and chloroquine sulfate syrup (39 patients) were compared. Each pateint received 25-mg chloroquine base/kg body weight over 3 consecutive days (day 0, 10 mg/kg; day 1, 10 mg/kg; and day 2, 5 mg/kg). The parasitologic cure rate was 33% ( 10 30) in the chloroquine phosphate suppository group and 36% ( 14 39) in the chloroquine sulfate syrup group. In addition, the mean pretreatment parasite counts of the chloroquine-sensitive cases were not significantly different in the two groups. However, pyrexia resolved slightly more slowly in the suppository group, although all sensitive patients in both groups were aferible on day 3. The results suggest that chloroquine phosphate suppositories are as effective as chloroquine sulfate syrup in the treatment of children with malaria caused by chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum. © 1995.