The Effect of Paracetamol in the Treatment of Non-severe Malaria in Children in Guinea-Bissau

Summary

The National Malaria Programme in Guinea-Bissau recommends paracetamol for all children treated for malaria. We, the investigators of the Bandim Health Project, want to evaluate whether this treatment has any effect on: * the well-being of the child; * the parasite clearance time; and * the rate of a re-appearance of parasites during 35 days of follow-up. Children presenting at Bandim Health Centre with malaria will be treated with chloroquine plus paracetamol or chloroquine plus placebo. Blood samples will be obtained daily for the first 4 days and then once a week until day 35.

Timeline

Start

2004-05

Primary completion

2006-11

Completion

2010-01

Publications

• Background Russell FM, Shann F, Curtis N, Mulholland K. Evidence on the use of paracetamol in febrile children. Bull World Health Organ. 2003;81(5):367-72. Epub 2003 Jul 7.
• Jovel IT, Kofoed PE, Rombo L, Rodrigues A, Ursing J. Temporal and seasonal changes of genetic polymorphisms associated with altered drug susceptibility to chloroquine, lumefantrine, and quinine in Guinea-Bissau between 2003 and 2012. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015 Feb;59(2):872-9. doi: 10.1128/AAC.03554-14. Epub 2014 Nov 24.
• Kofoed PE, Ursing J, Rodrigues A, Rombo L. Paracetamol versus placebo in treatment of non-severe malaria in children in Guinea-Bissau: a randomized controlled trial. Malar J. 2011 Jun 1;10:148. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-148.

Drugs

Indications