title: Challenges in childhood tuberculosis.
abstract: While tuberculosis (TB) typically causes respiratory disease in adults, the spectrum of disease is different in children, ranging from paucibacillary lymphadenitis or limited intrathoracic disease to severe disseminated disease. Diagnosing pediatric TB and monitoring treatment response is challenging, as collecting respiratory specimens is difficult in children and disease may be extrapulmonary. While basic principles of treatment are similar to adults, developmental differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics require that drug dosages in children be adjusted for body weight and age.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swaminathan
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents