Frequency of severe neutropenia associated with amodiaquine prophylaxis against malaria

6 out of 7 patients with severe neutropenia associated with the use of amodiaquine for malaria prophylaxis amodiaquine (400 mg weekly) plus proguanil (200 mg daily); 1 of these patients had also taken cotrimoxazole and another had taken sulphaguanidine. The 7th patient had taken amodiaquine alone, but at a higher dose. A retrospective analysis suggests that the frequency of severe neutropenia complicating amodiaquine taken prophylactically may be as high as 1 in 2000.