Citation

Nevin RL. J. Parasitol. Res. 2015; 2015.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Hindawi Publishing)

DOI

10.1155/2015/260106

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Mefloquine is an antimalarial drug that has been commonly used in military settings since its development by the US military in the late 1980s. Owing to the drug's neuropsychiatric contraindications and its high rate of inducing neuropsychiatric symptoms, which are contraindications to the drug's continued use, the routine prescribing of mefloquine in military settings may be problematic. Due to these considerations and to recent concerns of chronic and potentially permanent psychiatric and neurological sequelae arising from drug toxicity, military prescribing of mefloquine has recently decreased. In settings where mefloquine remains available, policies governing prescribing should reflect risk-benefit decision-making informed by the drug's perceived benefits and by consideration both of the risks identified in the drug's labeling and of specific military risks associated with its use. In this review, these risks are identified and recommendations are made for the rational prescribing of the drug in light of current evidence. © 2015 Remington L. Nevin.

Language: en

Keywords

human; homicide; suicide; Review; policy; insomnia; suicidal ideation; depression; aggression; anxiety; dissociative disorder; mental disease; prescription; behavior disorder; cognitive defect; priority journal; vertigo; sleep disorder; panic; neurotoxicity; doxycycline; confusion; drug choice; drug safety; soldier; drug cost; risk benefit analysis; drug tolerability; restlessness; neurologic disease; paranoid psychosis; agitation; airplane pilot; brain disease; mental instability; dizziness; mefloquine; abnormal dreaming; balance disorder; atovaquone plus proguanil; military deployment; manic psychosis; malaria control; malaria falciparum; prodromal symptom