Therapeutic modalities in pulmonary tuberculosis
Léophonte, P.; Didier, A.; Carré, P.; Pouchelon, E.; Rouquet, R.M.
La Revue du Praticien 40(8): 719-724
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-2640 PMID: 2320896 Document Number: 354772
In 1990, specific antituberculous chemotherapy can cure almost 100 p. cent of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in France, provided practitioners follow strict therapeutic rules and patients' compliance with treatment is perfect. A single standard treatment is proposed for those patients whose tuberculosis has never previously been treated; it consists of a six months' course of isoniazid (5 mg/kg/day) and rifampicin (10 mg/kg/day); combined with ethambutol (20 mg/kg/day) and pyrazinamide (30 mg/kg/day) during the first two months. This treatment must be administered under regular medical supervision, and it must be prolonged for some time after cure has been obtained. In case of relapse or in some special situations (e.g. pregnant women, HIV positive patients, serofibrinous pleurisy, complex anatomico-clinical forms of the disease) treatment is more difficult, but it should always give favourable results.