Drugs used in the treatment of malaria.

Drug Uses Adverse Effects

Chloroquine Prophylaxis and treatment in areas without GI distress, rash, headache; auditory
resistant P falciparum; treatment of P vivax dysfunction and retinal dysfunction (high
and P ovale malaria  dose)

Mefloquine Prophylaxis and treatment in areas with GI distress, rash, headache; cardiac
resistant P falciparum  conduction defects and neurologic symptoms
(high dose)

Quinine* Treatment of multidrug-resistant malaria Cinchonism, hemolysis in G6PD deficiency,

  blackwater fever

Primaquine Eradication of liver stages of P vivax and P GI distress, methemoglobinemia, hemolysis

ovale   in G6PD deficiency
Antifolates Prophylaxis and treatment of multidrug- GI distress, renal dysfunction, hemolysis,
pyrimethamine, proguanil, resistant P falciparum malaria  folate deficiency
sulfadoxine, and dapsone
Atovaquone-proguanil Prophylaxis and treatment of multidrug- GI distress, headache, rash hemolysis, folate
(Malarone) resistant P falciparum malaria  deficiency
Artesunate, Artemether Treatment of multidrug-resistant malaria GI distress
*
In most cases quinine is used together with doxycycline or clindamycin, or an antifolate. Quinidine gluconate (IV) is used
in severe infections or for patients unable to take oral quinine.
 Drugs used in the treatment of other protozoal infections.

Drug Indications
Melarsoprol Mucocutaneous forms of trypanosomiasis and the CNS
stage (African sleeping sickness)
Metronidazole Drug of choice for infections caused by Giardia lamblia
and Trichomonas vaginalis  
Nifurtimox Trypanosomiasis caused by T cruzi  

Pentamidine Hemolymphatic stage of trypanosomiasis and for

Pneumocystis jiroveci infections 
Pyrimethamine plus clindamycin or sulfadiazine plus folinic Drug combinations used in treatment of toxoplasmosis
acid

Sodium stibogluconate Treatment of leishmaniasis (all stages)

Suramin Drug of choice for hemolymphatic stage of

trypanosomiasis (T brucei gambiense, T rhodesiense) 
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole Drug combination of choice in Pneumocystis jiroveci
infections 
 Drugs for the treatment of helmintic infections.

Infecting Organism Drugs of Choice Alternative Drugs

Nematodes
  Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm)  Albendazole or mebendazole or pyrantel Piperazine

pamoate
  Necator americanus & Ancylostoma Pyrantel pamoate or  

duodenale (hookworm)   albendazole or mebendazole

  Trichuris trichiura (whipworm)  Albendazole or mebendazole Pyrantel pamoate
  Strongyloides stercoralis (threadworm)  Ivermectin Albendazole,

mebendazole
  Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm)  Mebendazole or pyrantel pamoate Albendazole
  Trichinella spiralis (trichinosis)  Mebendazole (+/– corticosteroids) Albendazole
  Cutaneous larva migrans Albendazole or ivermectin  
  Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi Diethylcarbamazine Ivermectin

(filariasis) 
  Onchocerca volvulus (onchocerciasis)  Ivermectin  
Trematodes (flukes)
  Schistosoma haematobium  Praziquantel Metrifonate
  Schistosoma mansoni   Praziquantel Oxamniquine
  Schistosoma japonicum   Praziquantel  
  Paragonimus westermani   Praziquantel  
  Fasciola hepatica (sheep liver fluke)  Bithional or triclabendazole   
  Fasciolopsis buski (large intestinal fluke)   Praziquantel or niclosamide   
Cestodes (tapeworms)
  Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm)  Praziquantel or niclosamide  Mebendazole
  Taenia solium (pork tapeworm)  Praziquantel or niclosamide   
  Cysticercosis (pork tapeworm larval stage) Albendazole Praziquantel
  Diphylobothrium latum (fish tapeworm)  Praziquantel or niclosamide   
  Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid disease)  Albendazole