RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Drugs for the treatment of malaria in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 569
OP 578
VO 34
IS 6
A1 Nzila, Alexis
A1 Al-Zahrani, Ibrahim
YR 2013
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/34/6/569.abstract
AB Current malaria treatments are based on the use of artemisinin based combinations. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the combination of pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine/artesunate is the first line of treatment of uncomplicated malaria, while lumefantrine/artemether (Coartem) is used as a second option. The treatment of severe malaria rests on the use of quinine or artesunate. In Saudi Arabia, most cases of malaria are imported, mainly from emigrant workers from the Indian subcontinent and the Eastern part of Africa. As a result, most parasites might have been exposed to antimalarials prior to coming to the country. Thus, knowledge of the pattern of resistance to these drugs outside the country could contribute to better management of the disease. In this review, we have summarized our current knowledge on the efficacy and resistance patterns of currently used antimalarials. Alternative treatments that could be used against malaria in the Kingdom are also discussed.