title: Treatment of tuberculosis: update 2010.
abstract: Currently, the standard short-course chemotherapy for tuberculosis comprises a 6-month regimen, with a four-drug intensive phase and a two-drug continuation phase. Alternative chemotherapy using more costly and toxic drugs, often for prolonged durations generally >18 months, is required for multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Directly observed treatment, as part of a holistic care programme, is a cost-effective strategy to ensure high treatment success and curtail development of drug resistance in tuberculosis. New antituberculosis drugs are urgently needed to improve the present standard short-course and alternative chemotherapies, by shortening administration durations and increasing cure rates, through the greater potency of these agents. At the same time, the role of adjunctive surgery for drug-resistant tuberculosis has to be better defined. Immunotherapy might improve treatment outcomes of both drug-susceptible and -resistant tuberculosis, and warrants further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Chest Unit, Grantham Hospital, Parkallee Germany.
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Yew
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010166:Palliative Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents