The reality of using primaquine
Abstract Background Primaquine is currently the only medication used for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax infection. Unfortunately, its use is not without risk. Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency have an increased susceptibility to haemolysis when given primaquine. Thi...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:85a0248cfc334260856fb2c221e93ce6 2023-05-15T15:07:02+02:00 The reality of using primaquine Bancone Germana Burgoine Kathy L Nosten François 2010-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 https://doaj.org/article/85a0248cfc334260856fb2c221e93ce6 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/376 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/85a0248cfc334260856fb2c221e93ce6 Malaria Journal, Vol 9, Iss 1, p 376 (2010) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2010 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 2022-12-31T08:47:52Z Abstract Background Primaquine is currently the only medication used for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax infection. Unfortunately, its use is not without risk. Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency have an increased susceptibility to haemolysis when given primaquine. This potentially fatal clinical syndrome can be avoided if patients are tested for G6PD deficiency and adequately informed before being treated. Case presentation A 35-year old male presented to our clinic on the Thai-Burmese border with a history and clinical examination consistent with intravascular haemolysis. The patient had been prescribed primaquine and chloroquine four days earlier for a P. vivax infection. The medication instructions had not been given in a language understood by the patient and he had not been tested for G6PD deficiency. The patient was not only G6PD deficient but misunderstood the instructions and took all his primaquine tablets together. With appropriate treatment the patient recovered and was discharged home a week later. Conclusions Whilst primaquine remains the drug of choice to eradicate hypnozoites and control P. vivax transmission, the risks associated with its use must be minimized during its deployment. In areas where P. vivax exists, patients should be tested for G6PD deficiency and adequately informed before administration of primaquine. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 9 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
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English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Bancone Germana Burgoine Kathy L Nosten François The reality of using primaquine |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background Primaquine is currently the only medication used for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax infection. Unfortunately, its use is not without risk. Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency have an increased susceptibility to haemolysis when given primaquine. This potentially fatal clinical syndrome can be avoided if patients are tested for G6PD deficiency and adequately informed before being treated. Case presentation A 35-year old male presented to our clinic on the Thai-Burmese border with a history and clinical examination consistent with intravascular haemolysis. The patient had been prescribed primaquine and chloroquine four days earlier for a P. vivax infection. The medication instructions had not been given in a language understood by the patient and he had not been tested for G6PD deficiency. The patient was not only G6PD deficient but misunderstood the instructions and took all his primaquine tablets together. With appropriate treatment the patient recovered and was discharged home a week later. Conclusions Whilst primaquine remains the drug of choice to eradicate hypnozoites and control P. vivax transmission, the risks associated with its use must be minimized during its deployment. In areas where P. vivax exists, patients should be tested for G6PD deficiency and adequately informed before administration of primaquine. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bancone Germana Burgoine Kathy L Nosten François |
author_facet |
Bancone Germana Burgoine Kathy L Nosten François |
author_sort |
Bancone Germana |
title |
The reality of using primaquine |
title_short |
The reality of using primaquine |
title_full |
The reality of using primaquine |
title_fullStr |
The reality of using primaquine |
title_full_unstemmed |
The reality of using primaquine |
title_sort |
reality of using primaquine |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 https://doaj.org/article/85a0248cfc334260856fb2c221e93ce6 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 9, Iss 1, p 376 (2010) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/376 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/85a0248cfc334260856fb2c221e93ce6 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-376 |
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Malaria Journal |
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9 |
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1 |
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1766338610752126976 |