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_ 1797091950587805696
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. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T03:39:39Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:bd730059-62db-4692-a764-3f1aaa8e1161
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T03:39:39Z
publishDate 2011
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:bd730059-62db-4692-a764-3f1aaa8e11612022-03-27T05:31:57ZConsideration of ethics in primaquine therapy against malaria transmissionJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:bd730059-62db-4692-a764-3f1aaa8e1161EnglishSymplectic 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. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
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