Side effects due to primary antituberculosis drugs during the initial phase of therapy in 1149 hospitalized patients for tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
Side effects of the most commonly used primary antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs may be mild as well as fatal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the side effects of and the risk factors for developing side effects against anti-TB drugs.


METHODS
Records of 1149 patients with established tuberculosis who initially received anti-TB therapy were evaluated retrospectively. The major side effects, which resulted in a definitive termination from 1 or more drugs related to anti-TB therapy, and the risk factors associated with these side effects, were analyzed.


RESULTS
Ninety-five patients (8.3%), constituting 104 cases in total, experienced side effects. Although the frequency of drug reactions were increased from 0.6% at ages <20 to 5.2% at ages 20-40, no gender or age differences were observed between patients who did and did not have side effects. While asymptomatic liver function disturbance was established in 56 of the patients (4.9%) with initiation of anti-TB therapy, the rate of hepatotoxicity was found to be 2.4% in this present study. No age or gender differences were observed among those who had hepatotoxicity and who had not. The major side effects were ototoxicity (1.7%), hepatotoxicity (0.8%), neuropsychiatric manifestations (0.7%), and hyperuricemia (0.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
It must be remembered that severe side effects associated with anti-TB drugs were encountered with different frequencies especially among patients hospitalized for pulmonary tuberculosis, and these patients should be followed up by closer monitoring for side effects related to anti-TB drugs.
Gülbay
Banu Eriş
BE
Department of Chest Diseases, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. banu.gulbay@gmail.com
Gürkan
Ozlem Ural
OU
Yildiz
Oznur Akkoca
OA
Onen
Zeynep Pinar
ZP
Erkekol
Ferda Oner
FO
Baççioğlu
Ayşe
A
Acican
Turan
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D008875:Middle Aged; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents