Mon 11:43 am +01:00,
13 Nov 2023 3
posted by Tapestry
It said, “Higher doses would be considered for treatment, i.e., 10mg/kg base, followed by 5mg/kg twice daily for seven days.”
What is the “base”? A 200 mg dose of hydroxychloroquine contains 155 mg “base” drug. Generally, a loading dose refers only to a high first dose, not to several high additional doses. However, the trial protocol used in Solidarity employs the same dose for all, rather than weight-based dosing.
What is a toxic dose? All experts agree on this: “… chloroquine has a small toxic to therapeutic margin,” according to Goldfrank’s Toxicologic Emergencies. The drug is very safe when used correctly, but not a lot more can potentially kill. Prof. Nicholas White, a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow and expert in malaria treatment, who attended both WHO consultations on the chloroquines, has confirmed this. Careful monitoring of electrolyte levels and an EKG can prevent most problems.
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