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Comparative study of mefloquine and sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine for malaria prevention among pregnant women with HIV in southwest Nigeria
Author(s) -
Akinyotu Oriyomi,
Bello Folasade,
AbdusSalam Rukiyat,
Arowojolu Ayodele
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.12516
Subject(s) - mefloquine , medicine , malaria , sulfadoxine , pyrimethamine , sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine , randomized controlled trial , obstetrics , immunology , plasmodium falciparum
Objective To compare the effectiveness of mefloquine and sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine as intermittent preventive therapy for malaria among pregnant women with HIV . Methods The present randomized, controlled, prospective, open‐label study enrolled women with HIV who had reached at least 16 weeks of pregnancy attending prenatal clinics at secondary and tertiary health facilities in South West Nigeria between January 1 and August 31, 2016. Block randomization was used to assign patients to treatment with mefloquine or sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine for malaria prophylaxis. The primary outcome was malaria parasitemia at delivery. Data were compared with the χ 2 and t tests on a per‐protocol basis. Results Of 142 women enrolled and randomized equally to each group, 131 (92.3%) completed the study (64 in the mefloquine group and 67 in the sulphadoxine‐pyrimethamine group). Blood‐sample malaria parasites were isolated from 6 (9%) and 5 (7%) patients in the mefloquine and sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine groups, respectively, at enrolment, and 6 (9%) and 9 (13%) patients in the mefloquine and sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine groups, respectively, at delivery; the differences between the groups was not significant at enrolment ( P =0.693) or delivery ( P =0.466). Conclusion Outcomes following prophylactic use of mefloquine for intermittent preventive therapy for malaria among pregnant women with HIV were comparable to sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine treatment; mefloquine is a feasible alternative therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT 02524444.