Pyrimethamine and Sulfadoxine (Fansadar)

Category:

  • Antimalarial

 Description:

  • Pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine are used together in an oral preparation to treat or prevent malaria, however, the combination is no longer recommended for malaria prophylaxis due to the possibility of fatal toxic epidermal necrolysis.  Pyrimethamine inhibits parasitic dihydrofolate reductase, and sulfadoxine antagonizes parasitic para-aminobenzoic acid, thus causing the bacteriostatic activity.  The ingredients are used together because of their synergistic activity on folic acid production.

Indications:

  • Malaria

Dosage:

Administered orally: available as tablets:   

  • pyrimethamine 25mg

  • sulfadoxine 500mg

Acute malaria, taken PO as a single dose.  Also for acute, chloroquine-resistant malarial attack, take as a single PO dose in combination with quinine

  • Adult and child >45 kg:            3 tablets

  • Child 31-45 kg:                        2 tablets

  • Child 21-30 kg:                        1½ tablets

  • Child 11-20 kg:                        1 tablet

  • Child 5-10 kg:                          ½ tablet

 

Source: Operational Medicine 2001,  Health Care in Military Settings, NAVMED P-5139, May 1, 2001, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20372-5300  

Gynecology and Obstetrics CD-ROM
Volumes 1-6
2004 Edition
 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Copyright 2004
All Rights Reserved