Chloroquine-induced Acute Dystonic Reactions after a Standard Therapeutic Dose for Uncomplicated Malaria

• Main Authors: Olusegun A. Busari, Joseph Fadare, Segun Agboola, Olusegun Gabriel, Olayide Elegbede, Yusuf Oladosu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sultan Qaboos University 2013-08-01
• Series: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
• Subjects: dystonia; reactions, acute; malaria; chloroquine; administration, oral; case report; nigeria
• Online Access: https://journals.squ.edu.om/index.php/squmj/article/view/1854

Acute dystonic reactions (ADR) are extrapyramidal effects that usually occur after the initiation of a wide variety of drugs or triggering factors besides neuroleptics. We report the case of a 54-year-old man who was admitted with an approximately 10-hour history of muscle twitching around the eyes, face and neck after he took the first dose of oral chloroquine phosphate (1 g [600 mg base]) prescribed for uncomplicated malaria. He was given intravenous diazepam (10 mg statum) followed by 10 mg of oral diazepam 3 times a day. The symptoms improved within 30 minutes of treatment, and he was discharged 14 hours later after a complete recovery.