Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (Apr 2022)

Effect of weekly versus daily primaquine on Plasmodium vivax malaria recurrences: A real-life cohort study

  • Jose Diego Brito-Sousa,
  • Jeffe Phanor,
  • Patricia Carvalho da Silva Balieiro,
  • Alexandre Vilhena Silva-Neto,
  • Jady Shayenne Mota Cordeiro,
  • Sheila Vitor-Silva,
  • Maxwell Mendes,
  • Vanderson Souza Sampaio,
  • Gisely Cardoso de Melo,
  • Marcus Lacerda,
  • Wuelton Monteiro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0738-2021
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 55

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Background: Although primaquine (PQ) is indicated for G6PD-deficient patients, data on weekly PQ use in Brazil are limited. Methods: We aimed to investigate malaria recurrences among participants receiving daily and weekly PQ treatments in a real-life setting of two municipalities in the Amazon between 2019 and 2020. Results: Patients receiving weekly PQ treatment had a lower risk of recurrence than those receiving daily PQ treatment (risk ratio: 0.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.94), using a model adjusted for study site. Conclusions: Weekly PQ use did not increase the risk of malaria recurrence. Further studies with larger populations are warranted.

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