title: Present status of chemotherapy for tuberculosis.
abstract: For the treatment of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, short-course chemotherapy of 6 months' duration (with the four-drug combination of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and either ethambutol or streptomycin given daily for a 2-month initial intensive phase followed by a 4-month daily continuation phase with isoniazid and rifampin) is as effective and as acceptable as the standard 9-month daily course of therapy (with isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol given for a 2-month initial intensive phase followed by a 7-month daily continuation phase with isoniazid and rifampin). The duration of short-course chemotherapy cannot be further reduced for smear-negative and culture-positive or smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis or for extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Isoniazid has been demonstrated to be active as prophylactic therapy for tuberculosis at a daily dose of 300 mg (5-10 mg/kg in children) for 6-12 months. Prophylaxis of 2 months' duration with daily administration of isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide may be as effective as prophylactic therapy with isoniazid of 12 months' duration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Central de Bactériologie-Virologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Grosset
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011718:Pyrazinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D011718:Pyrazinamide; D004977:Ethambutol; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin; D013307:Streptomycin