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Therapeutic action
- Antimalarial
Indications
- Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp-SP), as of the second trimester, in areas with moderate to high malaria transmission in Africa
Forms and strengths
- Sulfadoxine 500 mg/pyrimethamine 25 mg tablet
- Sulfadoxine 500 mg/pyrimethamine 25 mg dispersible tablet
Dosage and duration
- 3 tablets single dose for each treatment, starting as early as possible in the second trimester
- Each treatment should be given at least one month apart and at least 3 doses should be given during pregnancy.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with allergy to sulfonamides.
- Do not administer to HIV-infected women taking co-trimoxazole prophylaxis.
- May cause: gastrointestinal disturbances, skin reactions, sometimes severe (toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome); anaemia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, haemolytic anaemia in patients with G6PD deficiency.
- Do not use in combination with co-trimoxazole.
- Do not give folic acid on the same day SP is administered, or within 2 weeks thereafter.
- Pregnancy: CONTRA-INDICATED during the first trimester (risk of neural tube defects)
Remarks
- Also comes as co-packaged dispersible tablets for seasonal malaria chemoprevention in children: amodiaquine 153 mg + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine 500 mg/25 mg and amodiaquine 76.5 mg + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine 250 mg/12.5mg.
Storage
– Below 25 °C