| dc.description.abstract | With the increasing problem of chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria in Kenya,
treatment with alternative drugs such as sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is becoming common. One
of the side-effects associated with the use oftbis drug is adverse skin reactions. Hospital-based
retrospective and prospective studies of adverse skin reactions to sulfadoxine-pyrimetharnine
were undertaken in a holoendemic malaria area of western Kenya in order to understand the
implications of treatment policies. In a retrospective study of 35,950 medical records for all
conditions recorded between 1994-1995 in Kisumu District Hospital, only a small proportion
(9.0%) were patients diagnosed with skin events. No cases of drug-induced skin reactions were
diagnosed during this time period. In a retrospective study of 1,557 documented skin events
from 1994-1995 in the outpatient skin clinic in New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital, druginduced
reactions constituted only 1% (16 cases). From a 12-month prospective study, a total of
33 patients were enrolled into the study Ten of the 33 patients had sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine
minor skin reactions. There were no fatalities associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Since
the skin reactions are minor and not a major public problem, it is recommended that sulfadoxinepyrimethamine
may be used for the treatment ofchloroquine-resistantfalcipanml malaria. | en |
