A study of two twice-weekly and a once-weekly continuation regimen of tuberculosis chemotherapy, including a comparison of two durations of treatment. 2. Second report: the results at 36 months.
The final results of a controlled clinical trial of 3 chemotherapeutic regimens in pulmonary tuberculosis in Czechoslovakia are presented. Two of the regimens were based on a twice-weekly continuation regimen of streptomycin plus isoniazid, preceded by 6 weeks or 13 weeks of initial daily triple chemotherapy with streptomycin, PAS and isoniazid; the third regimen was once-weekly streptomycin plus isoniazid preceded by 13 weeks of the daily triple combination. Patients in each regimen were allocated to a total duration of treatment of 12 months or 18 months. At 3 years, the twice-weekly continuation regimen was highly satisfactory, 97% of 93 patients receiving 13 weeks of initial daily triple chemotherapy and 98% of 82 receiving 6 weeks having a favourable response. The once-weekly regimen was less satisfactory and this was largely due to the rapid acetylators of isoniazid of whom 78% of 37 had a favourable response compared with 97% of 60 slow acetylators. There was no advantage in the longer course of chemotherapy, for 95% of 129 patients receiving chemotherapy for 12 months had a favourable response compared with 95% of 143 patients receiving it for 18 months.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D010131:Aminosalicylic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids; D010131:Aminosalicylic Acid; D007538:Isoniazid; D013307:Streptomycin