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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
The pharmacokinetics of intravenous artesunate in adults with severe falciparum malaria
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Volume 62, No. 12, Year 2006
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Description
Objective: Intravenous artesunate is commonly used in the emergency treatment of patients with severe falciparum malaria in Asia. The choice of doses used has been empirical. To inform dosage recommendations we assessed the pharmacokinetics of intravenous artesunate after the first dose. Methods: As part of a clinical trial of artesunate in adults with severe falciparum malaria in western Thailand, we assayed plasma concentrations of artesunate and the principal biologically active metabolite dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in 17 patients given an initial dose of 2.4 mg/kg body weight of intravenous artesunate. Drug levels were measured using high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectroscopy-electrospray ionisation detection. Results: Median (range) observed DHA Cmax was 2128 (513-5789) nmol/L, elimination half-life was 0.34 (0.14-0.87) h, and the time to the last detectable DHA was 2 h. Conclusion: The large inter-individual variability (10 fold) in DHA Cmax and AUC in patients with potentially lethal, severe malaria, suggests that 2.4 mg/kg should be the minimum daily dose in severe malaria. © 2006 Springer-Verlag.
Authors & Co-Authors
Newton, Paul N.
Thailand, Nakhon Pathom
Mahidol University
United Kingdom, Oxford
University of Oxford
Barnes, Karen Irma
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Smith, Peter J.D.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Evans, Alicia C.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Chierakul, W.
Thailand, Nakhon Pathom
Mahidol University
Ruangveerayuth, Ronatrai
Thailand
Mae Sot General Hospital
White, Nicholas J.
Thailand, Nakhon Pathom
Mahidol University
United Kingdom, Oxford
University of Oxford
Statistics
Citations: 42
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s00228-006-0203-2
Research Areas
Infectious Diseases