Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36722432›Full record

Observational studyTransactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene2023

WHO should accelerate, not stall, rectal artesunate deployment for pre-referral treatment of severe malaria.

Thomas J Peto, James A Watson, Nicholas J White, Arjen M Dondorp

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Rectal artesunate for severe malaria, implementation research, Zambia.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Thomas J PetoMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0003-3197-9891
James A WatsonMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0001-5524-0325
Nicholas J WhiteMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0002-1897-1978
Arjen M DondorpMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0001-5190-2395

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The recent World Health Organization moratorium on rectal artesunate (RAS) for pre-referral treatment of severe childhood malaria is costing young lives. The decision was based on disappointing findings from a large observational study that provided RAS to community health workers with little training and supervision. This non-randomized, operational research has provided useful information to guide the implementation of RAS but is subject to bias and confounding and cannot be used to assess treatment effects. Parenteral artesunate reduces severe malaria mortality and a large body of evidence also shows RAS has lifesaving efficacy. There is now more than a decade of delay in conducting the necessary engagement and training required for successful deployment of RAS. Further delays will result in more preventable deaths.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsArtemisininsMalariaAdministration, RectalArtesunateChildHumansReferral and ConsultationWorld Health OrganizationAntimalarialsArtemisininsArtesunate

Identifiers

PMID36722432
PMCPMC10318884

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.