TITLE:
Benefits of Artesunate versus Quinine in the Treatment of Children with Severe Malaria at the National University Teaching Hospital of Cotonou
AUTHORS:
Godonou Gratien Sagbo, Laeticia Zohoun, Gilles Bognon, Joseph Agossou, Caroline Padonou, Yévèdo Tohodjèdé, Florence Alihonou, Blaise Ayivi
KEYWORDS:
Severe Malaria, Quinine, Artesunate
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.7 No.3,
August
11,
2017
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Severe malaria is one of the leading causes of death in Sub-Saharan
African countries, and artesunate is recommended as a first-line treatment by
the Word Heath Organization (WHO.). Objective: Identify the advantages
of artesunate compared with quinine in the treatment of severe malaria in
children. Methods and patients: This study was a cross-sectional, descriptive
and analytical study focused on children hospitalized for severe malaria in the
CNHU who were treated with quinine or artesunate. Findings: The
hospital-based frequency rate of severe malaria in pediatric patients was
estimated to be 28.3% (n = 848). One hundred five children were treated with
artesunate, and 743 were treated with quinine. The mean age of the children was
47 months old. The primary signs of severity were anemia (n = 776),
neurological manifestations (n = 309) and hemolysis (n = 137). The average
duration of treatment was 1.95 days for artesunate versus 2.45 days for quinine,
and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001). The average length of stay (ALOS) in the hospital was 5 days for the
artesunate group versus 5.75 days for the quinine group, and the difference was
statistically significant (p Conclusion: The treatment of severe malaria
with artesunate is superior to quinine-based treatment.