PEDIATRICS Vol. 72 No. 6 December 1983, pp. 801-806
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Abernathy, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Moers, D. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Abernathy, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Moers, D. J.

Short-Course Chemotherapy for Tuberculosis in Children

Rosalind S. Abernathy MD1, A. K. Dutt MD1, William W. Stead MD1, and D. J. Moers RN, PHN1

1 From the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Hospital, and Arkansas State Health Department, Little Rock

Short-course, largely twice-weekly chemotherapy for tuberculosis was introduced in the United States for treatment of adults with pulmonary disease by the Arkansas State Department of Health in 1976. Since 1977, 50 children with tuberculosis have been treated with rifampin, 10 to 20 mg/kg, and isoniazid, 10 to 20 mg/kg daily for one month followed by 10 to 20 mg/kg of rifampin and 20 to 40 mg/kg of isoniazid twice a week for another 8 months. Ages ranged from 4 months to 15 years with a median age of 3 years. A presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis was made on the basis of 10 mm or more of induration to 5 TU of purified protein derivative and a chest film or other findings compatible with tuberculosis. Three children had extrapulmonary disease (two had cervical adenitis, one had tuberculosis arthritis). Of the 47 children with pulmonary disease, 32 were asymptomatic. The results were excellent. Symptoms cleared in 1 to 2 months. Most pulmonary infiltrates had cleared by 10 months, but hilar adenopathy rarely cleared in less than 2 years. Drug toxicity occurred in only one patient (vomiting of rifampin). This treatment appears to be safe, effective, inexpensive, short and simple enough to ensure cooperation or to allow personnel to administer drugs directly to children from socially disorganized families.

Key Words: childhood tuberculosis • short-course chemotherapy • rifampin • isoniazid

Submitted on December 23, 1982
Accepted on March 11, 1983




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
N. Kiper, A. Goccmen, E. Dilber, and U. OzGelik
Effectiveness of Short-Course, Intermittent Chemotherapy for Tuberculosis in Young Infants Aged Less Than 6 Months
Clinical Pediatrics, July 1, 1998; 37(7): 433 - 436.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
Y. P. Talmi, A. H. Cohen, Y. Finkelstein, I. Versano, and Y. Zohar
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cervical Adenitis: Diagnosis and Management
Clinical Pediatrics, September 1, 1989; 28(9): 408 - 411.
[Abstract] [PDF]