Assessing the Efficacy of Artemisinin Combination Therapies for Treatment of Uncomplicated Malaria Infection in Children
P. Falciparum Malaria
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for P. Falciparum Malaria focused on measuring malaria, treatment, artemisinin combination therapy, Tanzania, P. falciparum malaria in children age 6-59 months
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 6-59 months
- Axillary temperature ≥ 37.5º C or history of fever in the past 48 hours
- Weight ≥ 5.0 kg
- Slide-confirmed infection with P. falciparum, with parasitemia 2,000-200,000 asexual forms per μl
- Live within the boundaries of the officially recognized catchment area of Miono Health Center.
- Caregiver agrees to all blood draws and return visits.
Exclusion Criteria:
- General danger signs or symptoms of severe malaria
- Signs or symptoms of severe malnutrition, defined as weight-for-age ≤ 3 standard deviations below the mean (National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS]/World Health Organization [WHO] normalized reference values)
- Slide confirmed infection with any other Plasmodium spp. besides falciparum or mixed plasmodium infection
- Severe anemia, defined as Hb < 5 g/dl
- Known hypersensitivity to any of the drugs being tested
- Presence of febrile conditions caused by diseases other than malaria
- Serious or chronic medical condition (heart failure, sickle cell disease).
- Plan to travel or leave the area within the next 3 months.
- Have been treated for malaria in the 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
Sites / Locations
- Miono Health Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Experimental
Artemether-lumefantrine
Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine
Artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem; Novartis) administered twice daily for three days as tablets containing 20 mg of artemether plus 120 mg of lumefantrine at a dosage of: 1 tablet for patients weighing 5-14 kg, 2 tablets for patients weighing 15-24 kg, 3 tablets for patients weighing 25-34 kg, 4 tablets for patients weighing 35 kg or more
Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine administered once daily for 3 days as tablets containing 40 mg of dihydroartemisinin and 320 mg of piperaquine at a total dosage of 6.4 mg/kg of dihydroartemisinin and 51.2 mg/kg of piperaquine divided equally between the three days