title: Treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Taiwan.
abstract: Eighty-seven patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) diagnosed between 1988 and 1990 were treated with isoniazid and at least three other effective second-line drugs based on in vitro susceptibility tests. Of these patients, 10% failed to adhere to the regimen and 43% remained sputum positive after 6 months of treatment. Only 47% showed sputum conversion within 6 months of treatment and 12% of them relapsed during the first year of follow-up. From September 1987 to July 1989, 36 patients with MDR-TB were treated with a regimen containing rifabutin, isoniazid and at least three other susceptible drugs. Only 47% achieved a sustained sputum conversion. Four died during treatment due to disease progression. From March 1992 to July 1993, 17 cases of MDR-TB were treated with an ofloxacin-containing anti-TB regimen for 12-24 months. Two failed to adhere to the regimen for more than 1 month during the first 6 months of therapy. Among the remaining 15, 26% failed to achieve sputum conversion, 73% achieved bacterial conversion, 9 within 1 month and the other 2 within 2 months. No significant adverse effect was associated with ofloxacin use. We concluded that ofloxacin is a better choice among the more toxic and less potent second-line drugs, and should be used along with other anti-TB drugs in treating patients with MDR-TB.
authors.affiliation: Taiwan Provincial Chronic Disease Control Bureau, Taipei.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013183:Sputum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D015242:Ofloxacin