Study on efficacy of artesunate therapy in severe malaria in pediatric patients at tertiary care centre

Objective: To describe the efficacy of artesunate therapy in severe malaria. Material and method: This was a single centre tertiary care hospital based prospective study. A total of 50 patients (age group 1 month- 18 years) of severe malaria admitted in PICU were enrolled in our study. The confirmation of malaria was done by blood smear for malarial parasite (PV/PF or both) or RDT (Rapid diagnostic test). Results: Most of patients 28% were in the age group 0f 6-10 years with mean age of 9.09 years. Among P. falciparum patients, 65.52% responded to artesunate rest were shifted to quinine therapy and in P. vivax patients 76.19% responded to artesunate therapy. Mean duration for fever clearance time on artesunate therapy was 37.92±21.33 hours,mean coma resolution time 22.73±20.19 hours, andmean parasite clearance time was 51.47±22.90 hours.In clinical outcome by artesunate therapy, in plasmodium falciparum 27(93.10%) patients were got cured and 2 patients (6.90%) died. In plasmodium vivax, 20 patients (95.24%) were cured successfully and 1 patient died. Conclusion: The emergence of resistant parasites to artesunate, as well as the lack of the short term availability of effective alternative ant malarial drugs, is of great concern in the fight against malaria.