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Artemisinin-based combination therapy for ... - The Cochrane Library

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Ashley 2003b THA (Continued)<br />

Allocation concealment? Yes ’<strong>The</strong> treatment allocation was concealed<br />

in sealed envelopes labelled with the study<br />

code’<br />

Blinding?<br />

All outcomes<br />

Incomplete outcome data addressed?<br />

All outcomes<br />

No ’Laboratory staff reading the blood smears<br />

had no knowledge of the treatment received’.<br />

No other blinding described.<br />

Yes Similar losses to follow up in all groups<br />

(12.8% DHA-P vs 13.6% AS+MQ)<br />

Free of selective reporting? Yes All WHO outcomes reported<br />

Free of other bias? Yes No other sources of bias identified<br />

Ashley 2004 THA<br />

Methods Trial design: A 3-arm randomized controlled trial<br />

Follow up: Temperature and blood smears daily until clearance of fever and parasites, then<br />

weekly attendance <strong>for</strong> examination, symptom enquiry, malaria smear and haematocrit<br />

until day 63<br />

Adverse event monitoring: Adverse events defined as signs or symptoms that occurred<br />

or became more severe after treatment started. Symptoms were screened at each visit<br />

Participants Number: 499 randomized<br />

Inclusion criteria: Age 1 to 65 yrs, symptomatic P. falciparum mono-infection or mixed<br />

infections, in<strong>for</strong>med consent<br />

Exclusion criteria: Pregnancy or lactation, signs or symptoms of severe malaria, > 4% of<br />

red blood cells parasitized, treatment with mefloquine in the previous 60 days<br />

Interventions 1. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, fixed dose <strong>combination</strong> (Artekin: Holleykin)<br />

• Total dose: 6.4 mg/kg DHA and 51.2 mg/kg P in 4 divided doses at 0, 8, 24, and<br />

48 hours<br />

2. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, fixed dose <strong>combination</strong> (Artekin: Holleykin)<br />

• Total dose: 6.4 mg/kg DHA and 51.2 mg/kg P in 3 divided doses at 0, 24, and 48<br />

hours<br />

3. Artesunate plus mefloquine, loose <strong>combination</strong> (Artesunate: Guilin, Mequin: Atlantic)<br />

• AS 4 mg/kg once daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

• MQ 8 mg/kg once daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

All doses supervized<br />

Outcomes 1. Cure rate at days 63, 42, and 28, PCR adjusted and unadjusted<br />

2. P. vivax during follow up, and median time to reappearance<br />

3. Gametocyte development during follow up<br />

4. Mean haematocrit during follow up<br />

5. Adverse events<br />

Not included in this review:<br />

1. Fever clearance<br />

<strong>Artemisinin</strong>-<strong>based</strong> <strong>combination</strong> <strong>therapy</strong> <strong>for</strong> treating uncomplicated malaria (Review)<br />

Copyright © 2009 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cochrane</strong> Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.<br />

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