Disposition kinetics of intramuscular quinine in Myanmar adult patients with falciparum malaria

Intramuscular quinine pharmacokinetic study was made on ten Myanmar adults who attended Thayarwady Civil Hospital for the treatment of Falciparum malaria. The patients were given intramuscular quinine dihydrochloride (15 mg base/kg) body weight following by another two doses of intramuscular quinine 7.5 mg per kg and oral quinine sulphate 7.5 mg three times daily till day-7. Plasma conscentrations of quinine at various post-drug time intervals were assayed by the benzene extraction fluorescence (EF) method (1). Plasma quinine concentrations until 6 hours after the laoding dose were analysed for pharmacokinetic parameters. The level of quinine reached the minimum inhibitory concentration level within the first 1-2 hours of starting treatment. The drug was found to ge well tolerated by the patients with absence of tissue necrosis at the site of injection.