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

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Martensson 2003 TZA (Continued)<br />

Allocation concealment? No None described<br />

Blinding?<br />

All outcomes<br />

Incomplete outcome data addressed?<br />

All outcomes<br />

No No blinding is described. 10% of malaria<br />

films were cross-checked by an independaent<br />

examiner in a central laboratory<br />

Yes Low losses to follow up (1.5% AL6 vs 1%<br />

AS+AQ)<br />

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

Free of other bias? No Due to different inclusion criteria <strong>for</strong> the 2<br />

groups, participants in the AL6 group were,<br />

on average, older and heavier at baseline<br />

Mayxay 2003 LAO<br />

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

Follow up: Temperature was measured every 6 hours and patient reviewed daily until<br />

fever and parasites cleared then weekly until day 42 or any time they felt unwell. At each<br />

visit a malaria film and haematocrit measurement was taken.<br />

Adverse event monitoring: Potential side effects were recorded at each visit<br />

Participants Number: 220 randomized into included treatment arms<br />

Inclusion criteria: Age > 1 yr, axillary temp > 37.5 ºC or history of fever in previous 3<br />

days, P. falciparum parasitaemia 5000 to 200,000/µl, likely to stay in hospital until fever<br />

cleared and complete 42 days follow up, in<strong>for</strong>med consent<br />

Exclusion criteria: Pregnancy or lactation, signs of severe malaria, history of allergy or<br />

contraindication to the study drugs, a full course of antimalarials in the previous 3 days<br />

Interventions 1. Artemether-lumefantrine, fixed dose <strong>combination</strong>, 20 mg/120 mg tablets (Coartem:<br />

Novartis)<br />

• < 15 kg 1 tablet twice daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

• 15 to 24 kg 2 tablets twice daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

• 25 to 34 kg 3 tablets twice daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

• > 35 kg 4 tablets twice daily <strong>for</strong> 3 days<br />

• Advised to take with fatty food<br />

2. Artesunate plus mefloquine, loose <strong>combination</strong> (artesunate: Guilan, Lariam: Roche)<br />

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

• MQ 15 mg/kg on day 1 and 10 mg/kg on day 2<br />

All doses supervized<br />

Outcomes 1. Cure rates at day 42, PCR adjusted and unadjusted<br />

2. P. vivax parasitaemia during follow up<br />

3. Gametocyte development<br />

4. Mean haematocrit after treatment<br />

5. Adverse events<br />

Not included in the review:<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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