Controlled clinical trial of five short-course (4-month) chemotherapy regimens in pulmonary tuberculosis. First report of 4th study. East African and British Medical Research Councils.
Five 4-mo regimens of chemotherapy for tuberculosis are compared. The two regimens in which rifampicin was given throughout the 4 mo were associated with bacteriological-relapse rates of 8% in the first 6 mo after stopping chemotherapy, but the three regimens in which rifampicin was given for only the first 2 mo had relapse-rates of 24-32%. There was no evidence that the addition of pyrazinamide in the second 2 mo of chemotherapy reduced the bacteriological-relapse rate. Removal of the streptomycin from the first 2 mo appeared to reduce the bactericidal and sterilising activity of the regimen, although the differences were not statistically significant. The incidence of adverse reactions was very low with all five regimens.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000351:Africa, Eastern; D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011718:Pyrazinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D015024:Zambia
D011718:Pyrazinamide; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin; D013307:Streptomycin