Efficiency of treatment in patients with newly diagnosed destructive pulmonary tuberculosis using intravenous chemotherapy

Abstract

Background. The aim of research was to determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy using intravenous antituberculosis drugs compared with their oral administration during the intensive phase of treatment. Methods. 152 tuberculosis patients were randomized into 2 groups: Main (n=65) who received isoniazid, ethambutol and sodium rifamycin intravenous with pyrazinamide (2.0 g) per os and control (n=87) who received standard chemotherapy, consisting of orally administered isoniazid (0.3 g), rifampicin (0.6 g), pyrazinamide (2.0 g), ethambutol (1.2 g) with a dose reduction after the intensive phase of the therapy. Results. After 2 weeks of treatment symptoms of intoxication disappeared in 59 (90.7±3.59 %) of patients of the main group and 60 (68.9±4.9 %) patients in the control group, p<0.05. The mean duration of symptoms of intoxication in patients main group was 9.6±0.7 days, in control group – 13.7±0.9 days. After completing intensive phase sputum conversion was found in all the patients main group and 71 (81.6±4.1 %) patients control group p<0.05. The average time of sputum conversion in main group was 1.6±0.1 months and 1.9±0.1 months in control group, p>0.05. In patients with destructive pulmonary tuberculosis time to sputum conversion was 1.7±0.1 months in main group and 2.2±0.2 months in control group, p<0.05. The average time of cavities healing in main group was 2.9±0.2 months and 3.9±0.2 months in the control group, p<0.05. Conclusions. In patients with newly diagnosed destructive pulmonary tuberculosis use of isoniazid, ethambutol and sodium rifamycin intravenous in the intensive phase of chemotherapy resulted in a significant reduction in terms of the disappearance of symptoms of intoxication and sputum conversion.