Poisoning by anti-malarial drugs

Abstract

Poisoning, deliberate or accidental, with drugs used to treat malaria, seems to be uncommon although data is not available from South Sudan. A study in Uganda suggested around 3% of all cases of poisoning admitted to hospital had taken chloroquine: no other anti-malarial drugs were involved [1]. The commonly used drugs used to treat malaria in South Sudan are artemether with lumefantrine (as “Co-artem” or “Riamet”), artesunate and amodiaquine, quinine and occasionally doxycycline. Chloroquine is infrequently used because of parasite resistance but nevertheless will be included in this review.