Penicillin is a kind of antibiotic, artemisinin is mainly anti-malarial drug, so penicillin and artemisinin are two completely different drugs, the indications, adverse reactions, contraindications are different.
1. Different indications: penicillin is suitable for all kinds of infections caused by sensitive bacteria, such as abscess, bacteremia, pneumonia and endocarditis; and artemisinin is used for the treatment of various types of malaria, especially for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium cerebral malaria.
2. Different adverse reactions: penicillin allergic reactions are more common, including urticaria and other types of skin rashes, leukopenia, interstitial nephritis, asthma attacks and serum sickness type reaction, and occasionally see anaphylactic shock; artemisinin’s adverse reactions are mild gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, tinnitus, neutropenia, serum aminotransferase elevation and so on.
3. Contraindications are different: a history of allergy to penicillins or penicillin skin test positive patients with penicillin is prohibited; artemisinin has embryotoxicity, women should be cautious in pregnancy, especially the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is not yet clear whether the product can be secreted through the milk, lactating women should suspend breastfeeding when used.
The use of penicillin and artemisinin should be under the guidance of a specialized physician.