Abstract
Intermittent preventive treatment is the prescheduled administration of antimalarial drugs to at-risk patients in endemic areas. This approach, which is recommended for pregnant women, is being evaluated in children. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine recently proved to be more protective than artemisinin-containing regimens. Therefore, the use of artemisinin derivatives could potentially be restricted to symptomatic patients. Determinants of three pending issues: safety, efficacy throughout childhood, and effectiveness--the latter depending on the implementation of sustainable delivery mechanisms--are analyzed in this comment.
MeSH terms
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Amodiaquine / administration & dosage
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Amodiaquine / therapeutic use
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Antimalarials / administration & dosage*
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Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
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Artemisinins / administration & dosage
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Artemisinins / therapeutic use
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Child, Preschool
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Decision Making
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Drug Administration Schedule
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Drug Combinations
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Drug Resistance
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Humans
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Infant
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Malaria / prevention & control*
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Pyrimethamine / administration & dosage
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Pyrimethamine / therapeutic use
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Sulfadoxine / administration & dosage
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Sulfadoxine / therapeutic use
Substances
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Antimalarials
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Artemisinins
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Drug Combinations
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Amodiaquine
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fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination
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Sulfadoxine
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artemisinin
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Pyrimethamine