Therapeutic Failures in Adult Patients Treated with Artemether Lumefantrine: A Dual-Sector Analytical Study

Abstract

Artemether-Lumefantrine medication is becoming less effective in treating simple cases of malaria in many places where
the disease is prevalent. Worldwide, plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax parasite tolerance, recrudescence, and
resistance are on the rise. Our objective was to assess the rate of Artemether-Lumefantrine (Coartem) treatment failure in
persons presenting with uncomplicated malaria at health facilities. From April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022, 166 patients with
positive malaria test results attended health facilities as part of this descriptive cross-sectional research. A total of 9.6% of
malaria patients did not show improvement after receiving corticosteroids; 6.0% had plasmodium falciparum, 2.4%
plasmodium vivax, and 1.2 had a mixed infection. Among those who did not take the medication with the fatty meal, 31%
tested positive for malaria after two weeks of receiving coartem. Additionally, 25% of those who did not follow the treatment
schedule had not eradicated the parasite, even though they received coartem. Nearly a third of patients were given Coartem
without going through malaria testing, according to the data. In adults in Khartoum state, Sudan, the effectiveness of
Artemether-Lumefantrine for treating uncomplicated malaria is declining. To determine how often treatments fail and what
variables contribute to drugs having less of an effect, prospective trials are required. Pharmacists should not provide
antimalarial medication without a doctor's order and a positive blood test for malaria.