Active Tuberculosis Treatment
Aka: Active Tuberculosis Treatment, Active Tuberculosis, Active Tb Treatment, Active Tb, Active Tuberculosis Special Circumstances, Drug-Induced Hepatitis from Antituberculous Drugs
II. Diagnosis
- See Tuberculosis
- Requires idenitifying acid fast Bacteria
- Tuberculosis Screening (TST, IGRA) is insufficient to diagnose Active Tb
III. Precautions
- Tuberculosis requires long-term treatment
- Requires at least 6 months of medications (extended as long as 24 months in some cases)
- Regimens for Tuberculosis treatment must be multi-drug
- Four drugs should be used initially until culture (returned by 6-8)
- Never add a single drug to a failing regimen
- Avoid the Susceptible Tb Treatment protocol in suspected resistant Tuberculosis
- Patients must be monitored at least monthly
- Patient noncompliance is a major problem
- Consider intermittent therapy
- Consider Directly observed therapy
- Patients must be isolated (quarantined) until non-infectious
IV. Drug Interactions
- Review Drug Interactions before use (esp. Rifampin)
V. Adverse Effects: Tuberculosis Medications
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Consider taking medication with food
- Consider Antacid use
- Hepatotoxin (AST 3-5x normal)
- See Also Hepatotoxin
- Consider alternatives below if advanced liver disease
- Drugs most likely to cause Drug-Induced Hepatitis
- Alternative drugs if Drug-Induced Hepatitis occurs
- Capreomycin
- Fluoroquinolone
- Ethambutol
- Streptomycin
- Amikacin
- Kanamycin
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Isoniazid (INH)
- Optic Neuritis
- Ethambutol (EMB)
- Gout
- Pyrazinamide (PZA)
- Ototoxicity
- Streptomycin (and other Aminoglycosides)
- Renal Toxin
- Streptomycin (and other Aminoglycosides)
- Discolored body fluids
- Rifampin causes red-orange Urine Color, stool color, Saliva, sweat and tears
VI. Management: Protocols
VII. Management: Standard Adult
- Precautions
- This protocol assumes susceptible Tuberculosis
- See Susceptible Tb Treatment for complete description and indications
- Avoid this protocol in suspected resistant Tuberculosis
- This protocol assumes susceptible Tuberculosis
- First 2 months: Four drug regimen
- Next 4 months (extend to 7-10 months if immunocompromised)
- Monitoring
- Monitor Serum Creatinine (adjust doses of Ethambutol and Pyrazinamide accordingly)
- Adjunctive
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 25-50 mg daily
- Indicated for Neuropathy risk (e.g. Diabetes Mellitus, Alcoholism)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 25-50 mg daily
VIII. Management: Special Circumstances
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
- Avoid once weekly continuation phase protocols
- Pediatric patients
- Start empiric treatment immediately if suspected
- High risk of Disseminated tuberculosis
- Initial Protocol
- Three drug regimen indicated in most cases (contrast with adults where 4 drug regimen used)
- Regimen: Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Rifampin
- Ethambutol avoided due to decreased vision risk
- Four drug regimen (inc. Ethambutol) indications
- Upper lobe infitrate
- Cavitation
- Productive cough
- Three drug regimen indicated in most cases (contrast with adults where 4 drug regimen used)
- Start empiric treatment immediately if suspected
- Pregnant Women
- Initial Regimen: Isoniazid, Rifampin, Ethambutol
- Give Pyridoxine 25 mg daily (prevents Neuropathy)
- Do not use Streptomycin in pregnancy
- Pyrazinamide appears safe in pregnancy
- Less studied, and avoided in some regimens
- Give 7 month continuation phase if no Pyrazinamide
- Lactation
- May continue to Breast feed on antituberculous drugs
- Give Pyridoxine 25 mg daily (prevents Neuropathy)
IX. Management: Non-compliance
- General
- Compliance management is imperative
- Non-compliance causes treatment failures, resistance
- Dosing should be observed unless compliance assured
- Consider fixed dose combinations
- Rifater
- Contents
- Rifampin 120 mg
- Isoniazid 50 mg
- Pyrazinamide 300mg
- Treat for first 2 months of daily therapy
- Weight <44 kg: 4 tabs qd
- Weight 45-54 kg: 5 tabs qd
- Weight >55 kg: 6 tabs qd
- Contents
- Rifamate
- Rifater
X. Resources
- CDC Tb Guidelines Treatment
XI. References
- (2016) Presc Lett 23(10)
- Swadron (2019) Pulmonology 2, CCME Emergency Medicine Board Review, accessed 6/16/2019
- Frieden (2003) Lancet 362:887-99 [PubMed]
- Nahid (2016) Clin Infect Dis 63(7): e147-95 [PubMed]
- Potter (2005) Am Fam Physician 72:2225-35 [PubMed]