Are national treatment guidelines for falciparum malaria in line with WHO recommendations and is antimalarial resistance taken into consideration? – A review of guidelines in non-endemic countries
Issued Date
2022-02-01
Resource Type
ISSN
13602276
eISSN
13653156
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85122811111
Pubmed ID
34978744
Journal Title
Tropical Medicine and International Health
Volume
27
Issue
2
Start Page
129
End Page
136
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Tropical Medicine and International Health Vol.27 No.2 (2022) , 129-136
Suggested Citation
Visser M.T., Zonneveld R., Peto T.J., van Vugt M., Dondorp A.M., van der Pluijm R.W. Are national treatment guidelines for falciparum malaria in line with WHO recommendations and is antimalarial resistance taken into consideration? – A review of guidelines in non-endemic countries. Tropical Medicine and International Health Vol.27 No.2 (2022) , 129-136. 136. doi:10.1111/tmi.13715 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/85029
Title
Are national treatment guidelines for falciparum malaria in line with WHO recommendations and is antimalarial resistance taken into consideration? – A review of guidelines in non-endemic countries
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Objective: Plasmodium falciparum infections are a relatively rare but potentially deadly disease found in returning travellers. We compare the national treatment guidelines of non-endemic countries with the WHO guidelines for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections. Methods: Review. We identified non-endemic countries with an incidence rate of imported malaria of at least one per 100,000 population and at least 50 cases annually. Using PubMed and Google Search, we reviewed national guidelines published before 1 March 2021. Results: Thirteen guidelines were identified. For uncomplicated falciparum malaria, 11 of 13 countries (85%) recommend an artemisinin-based combination therapy as first-line regimen in adults, of which artemether–lumefantrine was the most common. For severe malaria, all guidelines recommend the use of intravenous artesunate. Only three countries adjust treatment recommendations based on expected artemisinin resistance. Conclusion: Treatment guidelines for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in non-endemic countries generally adhere to WHO recommendations but often fail to mention the risk of drug resistance in returning travellers. Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) should be the first choice for all uncomplicated malaria cases. Furthermore, the choice between ACTs should be based on regional resistance patterns.