Is artesunate better than quinine for treating severe malaria? Evidence Update, Malaria Series, August 2011

Abstract

Each Evidence Update is a 2-page summary of a Cochrane Review of healthcare interventions relevant to people in low-income and middle-income countries. This Evidence Update is adapted from Sinclair D, Donegan S, Lalloo DG. Artesunate versus quinine for treating severe malaria. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD005967. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005967.pub3.

What does the research say on the effects of using artesunate instead of quinine?

  • Fewer adults and children with severe malaria will die.
  • There is probably a small increase in the number of children with neurological problems at the time of discharge from hospital.
  • There is probably no difference in the number of children with long-term neurological problems.

Citation

Jones, B. Is artesunate better than quinine for treating severe malaria? Evidence Update, Malaria Series, August 2011. Effective Health Care Research Programme Consortium, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK (2011) 2 pp.

Is artesunate better than quinine for treating severe malaria? Evidence Update, Malaria Series, August 2011

Published 1 January 2011