Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in treatment of malaria in Western Kenya: increasing resistance and underdosing.

Between 1993 and 1999, we monitored the efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in 1175 children aged <24 months receiving 2789 treatments for falciparum malaria in western Kenya using a widely deployed age-based dose regimen: infants, 125 plus 6.25 mg (sulfadoxine plus pyrimethamine); children aged 12 to 23 months; 250 plus 12.5 mg. Cumulative treatment failure by day 7, defined as early clinical failure by day 3 or presence of parasitemia on day 7, increased from 18% in 1993 to 1994 to 22% in 1997 to 1998 (P-trend test = 0.20). Based on body weight, the median dose received was 20 plus 1.00 mg/kg, and 73% of the treatments were given at lower than the recommended target dose of 25 plus 1.25 mg/kg. Underdosing accounted for 26% of cumulative treatment failures. After the dose was increased in 1998 (median, 36 plus 1.8 mg/kg), only 4.2% of patients received less than 25 plus 1.25 mg/kg and there was no association with treatment failure. However, the proportion of cumulative treatment failure continued to increase to 27% by 1999 (P-trend test = 0.03). These results raise concern about the longevity of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in these settings. Underdosing may have contributed to the rate at which sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance developed in this area. Treatment guidelines should ensure that adequate doses are given from the initial deployment of antimalarials onward.