Artesunate for Injection is an antimalarial medication used to treat severe malaria in adults and children. Severe malaria treatment with Artesunate  should always be followed by a full course of an appropriate oral antimalarial regimen.

Artesunate for Injection does not treat Plasmodium hypnozoite liver stage forms and thus does not prevent relapses of Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale malaria. Concurrent therapy with an antimalarial agent, such as an 8-aminoquinoline drug, is required for the treatment of severe malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale.

Malaria

• The recommended dosage of Artesunate for Injection is 2.4 mg/kg given intravenously at 0 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours, and then once daily until the patient can tolerate oral antimalarial therapy.
• Artesunate for Injection should be administered intravenously as a slow bolus over 1 to 2 minutes.
• Artesunate for Injection should NOT be given as a continuous intravenous infusion.

The most common adverse reactions  reported with Artesunate include-

• acute renal failure (requiring dialysis)
• hemoglobinuria
• jaundice
• post-Treatment Hemolysis

Kidney Failure

Hemoglobinuria

Jaundice

• Hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis has been reported with artesunate injection.
• Cases of post-treatment hemolytic anemia severe enough to require transfusion have been reported. Patients should be monitored to look out for hemolytic anemia.
• Delaying treatment of severe malaria in pregnancy may result in serious morbidity and mortality to the mother and fetus