The effect of prednisolone on red cell survival in patients with falciparum malaria.

Radioisotope red-cell survival studies were carried out in 20 patients with falciparum malaria following quinine therapy. The mean parasite clearance time of the patients receiving quinine sulfate was 49 hours and those of the patients receiving quinine sulfate and prednisolone was 46 hours. The red-cell survival was correlated with the initial hematocrit level in both groups but the daily dose of 40 mg prednisolone did not mitigate the red cell survival.