Green Pages
Medicines
warning!
artemisinin
(artesunate, artemether,
wormwood)
Artemisinin is a family of medicines used
to fight malaria. There are other drugs
used against malaria, but not all of them
still work because of “drug resistance”
(see p. 464). Talk to your health ministry
to find out what works against malaria
where you live.
Important: Artemisinin seems to
become stronger if you also drink
grapefruit juice.
Prevent malaria by sleeping under
treated bednets.
Often comes in: artesunate tablets
50 mg; artemether ampules for injection
80 mg/ml in 1 ml.
How to use:
For malaria (see p. 99), give 300 mg
artesunate by mouth once a day for
7 days. You must almost always give
another medicine with artemisinin.
Contact your local health authority.
Other drugs that may work:
chloroquine, quinine, clindamycin, others.
WARNING: It is not known
whether artemisinin is safe in
the first 3 months of pregnancy.
benzylpenicillin
(penicillin G)
Benzylpenicillin is an antibiotic of the
penicillin family used to treat serious
infections.
Important: Be ready to treat an allergic
reaction (see p. 465).
Side effects: May cause yeast infection
in women or diaper rash in children.
Often comes in: Powder for mixing
injections of 1 or 5 million Units.
continued . . .
benzylpenicillin continued
How to use:
For tetanus in a newborn (see p. 278),
inject 100,000 Units into the muscle in
the front of the thigh, 1 time only.
Other drugs that may work:
ampicillin, procaine penicillin.
WARNING: Do not give
benzylpenicillin to someone
who is allergic to drugs in the
penicillin family.
benzathine benzylpenicillin
(penicillin G benzathine)
Benzathine benzylpenicillin is a
long-acting antibiotic of the penicillin
family used to treat syphilis, genital
ulcers, and other infections. It is always
given as an injection into muscle.
Important: May cause yeast infection in
women or diaper rash in children. Be
ready to treat an allergic reaction (p. 465).
Often comes in: powder for mixing
injections of 1.2 or 2.4 million Units in a
5 ml vial.
How to use:
For syphilis (see p. 330), inject 2.4
million Units into muscle 1 time only.
If the sores have disappeared but syphilis
shows in a blood test, then repeat the
injection once a week for 2 more weeks.
If a baby needs to be treated,
inject about 150,000 Units into muscle
1 time only (or 50,000 Units per kilogram
of the baby’s weight).
Other drugs that may work:
erythromycin.
WARNING: Do not give
benzathine benzylpenicillin to
someone who is allergic to
medicines in the penicillin family.
A Book for Midwives (2010)
475