title: Importance of rifampicin in combined daily/intermittent chemotherapy for tuberculosis.
abstract: Three different partly intermittent regimens were evaluated in order to assess the value of rifampicin (RMP) in the continuation phase of treatment for tuberculosis. Patients suffering from newly diagnosed culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were admitted to the trial. All were initially treated daily for 8 weeks with a quadruple combination including RMP. The intensive treatment phase was followed by twice-weekly intermittent treatment for 16 weeks with one of three different combinations, one containing RMP. Of 246 patients, 85 were withdrawn, 7 because of adverse events. At the end of treatment 127 of 135 patients (94,1%) from whom sputum results could be obtained, had negative sputum cultures, and 6 had one colony growth. Of 42 patients who had one or more positive sputum cultures during follow-up of 96 weeks, 6 belonged to the RMP group compared with 20 and 16 of the other groups (P = 0,0244). The results indicate that a combined daily/intermittent regimen containing RMP in both phases can be safely used, whereas a similar regimen with the same duration but not including RMP in the continuation phase, is inferior.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Research Institute of the South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Felten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003622:Dapsone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D011515:Prothionamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011718:Pyrazinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011718:Pyrazinamide; C011004:isoprodian; D011515:Prothionamide; D004977:Ethambutol; D003622:Dapsone; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin