R ev is t a d a S o c ie d a d e B ra s ile ira d e M e d i c in a T ro p ica l 2 9 ( 3 ) : 2 9 5 , m a i - j u n , 1 9 9 6 .
CA RTA A O ED ITO R
IN TRA RECTA L G LUCA N TIM E
Sir:
A t the m o m ent g lucantim e is still the o nly p en tav alen t antim o nial in Braz il to treat leishm aniasis. A m p o u led p ento stam w ill sho rtly b e av ailable. Bo th d rugs are su b ject to d eterio ratio n w ith keep ing 3. They are b est sto red in the d ark at 4°C.
A recent rep o rt o n the efficacy o f quinine ty p e antim alarials2 ap p lied rectally suggests that the intrarec tal ro u te b e a feasib le alternativ e to p arental injectio n1: it has b een u sed in the p ast. Pharm aco d y nam ics w ill be sim ilar2. It is a reaso n ab le m etho d o f ap p licatio n fo r field use in child ren. W ith the m o ther p resent a so ft ru bber catheter is p assed intrarectally after faecal ev acuatio n and the co rrect d aily d o se, grav ity infused , slo w ly in a saline d iluent. Certainly m uch less traum atic than rep eated injectio n.
REFEREN C ES
1. Barennes M , K am iatani F, Pussard E, C avire F, M eynard D , N jifountaw jo S ,V erd icc F. Intrarectal
q uim im ax L an associatio n o f q uinine alkaloids
f or th e treatm en t o f P la s m o d iu m f a l c i p a ru m
m alaria in ch ild ren in N iger: ef f icacy and
p harm ak inetics. T ransaction o f th e Royal S ociety
o f T rop ical M ed icine and H ygiene 8 9 :4 1 8 - 4 2 1 ,
199 5 .
2. Berm an JD . C h em o th erap y f or leishm aniasis:
b io chem ical m echan ism s, clinical ef f icacy and
future strategies. Review s o f Infectio us D isease
1 0 :5 6 0 - 5 8 6 ,1 9 8 8 .
3. M arsden PD . Pentavalent antim anials: old drugs
for n ew diseases. Revista da S ocied ade Brasileira
de M ed icin aT ro p ical 1 8 : 1 8 7 - 1 9 8 , 1 9 8 5 .
P hilip D . M a rs d e n
N úcleo d e M ed icina Tro p ical e N utrição Univ ersid ad e d e Brasília
Brasília, DF
Recebid o para p ublicação em 09/ 11/ 95.
