18/04/2024
ANTI-MALARIALS
Strangely, most of us believe in the superiority of the anti-malarial injections to the oral formulations. This might be the case with some other medications, but in this scenario it isn’t. The injection is usually made of one drug (artesunate or artemether) whereby the orals are combination of drugs in the injections plus one other antimalarial drug (artemether/lumefantrine or artesunate/amodiaquine) indicating the clear superiority of the orals over the injections. The injections would help stabilize you but would not eradicate the malarial parasites in you.
Now, what does the Ghana Standard Treatment Guidelines say: It says give the injections in severe malarial state till the patient is stable and can tolerate orals, then you start the oral anti-malarial.
So it means, in all circumstances you MUST still take the orals. Under no circumstance MUST you take the injections only.
Take Home Message: In situations where you are not having any signs of severe malaria (which would be discussed later), or not severely vomiting or can tolerate orals, AVOID ANTI-MALARIAL INJECTIONS for your treatment. Rather go in for the orals.
Thanks.
Dr Tee
