Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.

Millions of people receive primaquine against sexual plasmodia responsible for malaria transmission. These gametocytes cause no symptoms and do not threaten the host, but they infect mosquitoes and threaten the community. Primaquine causes hemolysis in the small minority of patients with glucose-6-p...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Baird, J, Surjadjaja, C
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2011
_version_ 1797057228738396160
author Baird, J
Surjadjaja, C
author_facet Baird, J
Surjadjaja, C
author_sort Baird, J
collection OXFORD
description Millions of people receive primaquine against sexual plasmodia responsible for malaria transmission. These gametocytes cause no symptoms and do not threaten the host, but they infect mosquitoes and threaten the community. Primaquine causes hemolysis in the small minority of patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd). Clinical studies in the 1950s demonstrated gametocytocidal primaquine to be safe without G6PDd screening. However, the evaluated G6PDd variant, African A-, represents mild sensitivity to primaquine. The view of primaquine as a safe gametocytocide thus rests largely upon observations from a G6PDd variant that is unlikely to challenge safety. The early clinical work does not seem to afford an adequate assessment of safety in G6PDd patients. Potential risk of harm without clinical benefit to the patient raises ethical questions that should be examined.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T19:33:18Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:1e31d600-e8d8-404f-a803-8a32828d76b4
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T19:33:18Z
publishDate 2011
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:1e31d600-e8d8-404f-a803-8a32828d76b42022-03-26T11:15:01ZConsideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:1e31d600-e8d8-404f-a803-8a32828d76b4EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Baird, JSurjadjaja, CMillions of people receive primaquine against sexual plasmodia responsible for malaria transmission. These gametocytes cause no symptoms and do not threaten the host, but they infect mosquitoes and threaten the community. Primaquine causes hemolysis in the small minority of patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd). Clinical studies in the 1950s demonstrated gametocytocidal primaquine to be safe without G6PDd screening. However, the evaluated G6PDd variant, African A-, represents mild sensitivity to primaquine. The view of primaquine as a safe gametocytocide thus rests largely upon observations from a G6PDd variant that is unlikely to challenge safety. The early clinical work does not seem to afford an adequate assessment of safety in G6PDd patients. Potential risk of harm without clinical benefit to the patient raises ethical questions that should be examined.
spellingShingle Baird, J
Surjadjaja, C
Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title_full Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title_fullStr Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title_full_unstemmed Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title_short Consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission.
title_sort consideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmission
work_keys_str_mv AT bairdj considerationofethicsinprimaquinetherapyagainstmalariatransmission
AT surjadjajac considerationofethicsinprimaquinetherapyagainstmalariatransmission