Early bactericidal activity of high-dose rifampin in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis evidenced by positive sputum smears

A H Diacon; R F Patientia; A Venter; P D van Helden; P J Smith; H McIlleron; J S Maritz; P R Donald

doi:10.1128/AAC.01474-06

Early bactericidal activity of high-dose rifampin in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis evidenced by positive sputum smears

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2007 Aug;51(8):2994-6. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01474-06. Epub 2007 May 21.

Authors

A H Diacon¹, R F Patientia, A Venter, P D van Helden, P J Smith, H McIlleron, J S Maritz, P R Donald

Affiliation

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa. [email protected]

Abstract

We studied the early bactericidal activity of twice the standard dose of rifampin in subjects with pulmonary tuberculosis evidenced by positive smears. The observed mean 2-day activity was almost double that reported at the standard dose. Further studies are warranted to establish whether higher rifampin doses might assist in shortening tuberculosis treatment.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Antitubercular Agents* / administration & dosage
Antitubercular Agents* / pharmacokinetics
Antitubercular Agents* / pharmacology
Antitubercular Agents* / therapeutic use
Colony Count, Microbial
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Female
Humans
Male
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
Rifampin* / administration & dosage
Rifampin* / pharmacokinetics
Rifampin* / pharmacology
Rifampin* / therapeutic use
Specimen Handling / methods
Sputum / microbiology*
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy*
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / microbiology*

Substances

Antitubercular Agents
Rifampin