Interim results of a controlled clinical study of abdominal tuberculosis.
Rani Balasubramanian; Rajeswari Ramachandran; Pauline Joseph; Nagarajan, M.; Thiruvengadam, K.V.; Tripathy, S.P.; Prabhakar, R.
Indian Journal of Tuberculosis; 1989; 36; 117-121.
A collaborative study was undertaken to compare a daily 6 months' regimen of rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide for 2 months, followed by rifampicin and isoniazid for 4 months (Short Course Chemotherapy regimen) with that of a daily 12-month regimen of streptomycin, ethambutol and isoniazid for 2 weeks, followed by ethambutol and isoniazid for the rest of the year (standard regimen) in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis. Patients with bacteriological or histopathological or radiological evidence were allocated at random to the two regimens. Of 37 patients in the short course chemotherapy series with an assessable response, 97% had a favourable response compared with 92% of 37 patients in the standard series. Of 64 patients who have been followed up till 24 months from the start of treatment, so far none has relapsed. However, the overall incidence of toxicity was 11 (26%) in short course chemotherapy series and 6 (13%) in standard series and for 2 and 3 patients respectively the treatment was changed for drug toxicity. The differences between the two were not statistically significant. The 6 month regimen appears to be as good as the 12 month regimen in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis
Back to List of publications / Home |