Treatment of adults with pulmonary tuberculosis
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Adults with pulmonary tuberculosis are treated with a combination of rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for the first two months followed by rifampicin and isoniazid for a further four months (including pleural effusion / mediastinal lymphadenopathy). Ethambutol is omitted if the patient is at low risk of resistance to isoniazid (previously untreated caucasian who is HIV negative and who has not been in contact with a patient with known drug resistant organisms). If pyrazinamide is omitted then treatment should be given for nine months with ethambutol being given for the initial two months .

 

Recommended dosages of standard antituberculosis drugs
Drug (daily doses)
weight
dose
Isoniazid
300 mg
Rifampicin

<50 kg

>50 kg

450 mg

600 mg

Pyrazinamide

<50 kg

>50 kg

1.5g

2g

Ethambutol
15 mg/kg

 

Intermittent treatment
Drug
(Intermittent dosage)
weight dose
Isoniazid

15 mg/kg three times a week

Rifampicin
600-900 mg three times a week
Pyrazinamide

<50 kg

>50 kg

<50 kg

>50 kg

2g three times a week

2.5 g three times a week

3g three times a week

3.5 g three times a week

Ethambutol  

30 mg/kg three times a week

45 mg/kg three times a week

 

Drugs

 

Month

 

Drug
Month
Total months

Respiratory

Non Respiratory

HRZ (E)
2
HR
4
6

Meningitis

CNS

HRZ (E)
2
HR
10
12
Chemo-prophylaxis

H

HR

6

3

6

3

Chemo prophylaxis (Isoniazid resistant organism)
R
6
6
R = rifampicin; H = isoniazid; Z = pyrazinamide; E = ethambutol.

Reference

Joint Tuberculosis Committee of the British Thoracic Society. Thorax 1998;53:536-548

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