Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Melba Gomes
ORCID ID
Contact details
20
Avenue Appia
Geneva-27
CH 1211
Switzerland
+41 (0)22 791 3813
gomesm@who.int
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Acronym
Study hypothesis
The objective has been to establish whether, in patients with acute malaria who cannot take medication by mouth, rectal artesunate plus referral differs from rectal placebo plus referral in terms of death or permanent disability.
Ethics approval
Ethics approval received on the 19th April 1999.
Study design
Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Not specified
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
Condition
Malaria
Intervention
The sample size determination in the protocol specified that a total of 10,000 non per os patients would need to be randomised in order to detect a reduction of mortality from 5% to 3%.
Individual patients will be randomised to receive either AS suppository (intervention group) or placebo (comparator group). Patients in both groups will then be referred (and offered transport) immediately to the nearest hospital/health centre.
Intervention type
Drug
Phase
Phase IV
Drug names
Artesunate (AS)
Primary outcome measure
1. Number of relevant deaths in the intervention and control arm assessed 7 - 30 days after enrolment (relevant defined as malaria positive patients in whom the death was probably/definitely preventable by the intervention)
2. Number of individuals with serious neurological disability in the intervention and control arms assessed at 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study. Neurological disability defined as the development of new problems with feeding, walking, talking, sitting, sight, hearing, playing, balance and behaviour
Secondary outcome measures
1. Number of deaths in the intervention and control arm assessed 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study
2. Number of cases of neurological disability in the intervention and control arms assessed at 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study
3. Number of cases of neurological disability in malaria smear positive patients in the intervention and control arms assessed at 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study
4. Number of cases of neurological disability in children in the intervention and control arms assessed at 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study
5. Number of cases of neurological disability in pregnant women in the intervention and control arms assessed at 7 - 30 days following enrolment in the study
6. Number of deaths and neurological sequelae in the intervention and control arm in malaria smear positive patients who survived at least 8 hours but died before 7 days after enrolment in the study
Overall trial start date
19/04/1999
Overall trial end date
19/04/2001
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Non per os children presenting to a peripheral health unit or traditional healer with clinicallly suspected P. falciparum malaria
2. Children from 6 months up to the age of 71 months old
3. Clinical diagnosis of probable P. falciparum malaria based on history from the parent/guardian and assessment of the Field Worker
4. Presence of one or more of the following conditions:
4.1. Repeated vomiting (defined as more than three episodes immediately after feeding in the previous 24 hours)
4.2. Inability to eat, drink or suck
4.3. Recurrent convulsions (defined as at least two fits in the previous 24 hours)
4.4. Altered consciousness (obtunded response to painful stimuli, coma, altered behaviour)
4.5. So weak that cannot sit/stand/walk unaided and so cannot take oral medication
5. Consent by patient or parent/guardian (if patient younger than 18)
6. Community informed consent - at the start of the study in that area, community consent to the project would have been obtained
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Child
Gender
Not Specified
Target number of participants
In this trial, it is not the number of patients recruited but the number of deaths that determine the statistical power of such a trial.
Participant exclusion criteria
Ability to take an oral medication.
Recruitment start date
19/04/1999
Recruitment end date
19/04/2001
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Ghana
Trial participating centre
20, Avenue Appia
Geneva-27
CH 1211
Switzerland
Sponsor information
Organisation
UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
Sponsor details
20
Avenue Appia
Geneva-27
CH 1211
Switzerland
Sponsor type
Research organisation
Website
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
Funder name
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/World Bank/World Health Organization (WHO) - Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
European Commission (Belgium)
Alternative name(s)
European Union, EC, EU
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
National government
Location
Funder name
WHO Global Malaria Programme
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
US Agency for International Development (USAID) (USA)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Irish Aid (Ireland)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)
Alternative name(s)
Karolinska Institute, KI
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Local government
Location
Sweden
Funder name
Sall Family Foundation (USA)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
private sector organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Location
United States of America
Funder name
University of Oxford Clinical Trial Service Unit (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
2009 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059639
Publication citations
-
Results
Gomes MF, Faiz MA, Gyapong JO, Warsame M, Agbenyega T, Babiker A, Baiden F, Yunus EB, Binka F, Clerk C, Folb P, Hassan R, Hossain MA, Kimbute O, Kitua A, Krishna S, Makasi C, Mensah N, Mrango Z, Olliaro P, Peto R, Peto TJ, Rahman MR, Ribeiro I, Samad R, White NJ, , Pre-referral rectal artesunate to prevent death and disability in severe malaria: a placebo-controlled trial., Lancet, 2009, 373, 9663, 557-566, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61734-1.