Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and its drug Treatment
Chandrakant Waghmare1 and Sachin Kore21Department of Pharmacology, Ashwini Rural Medical College and Hospital, Solapur (India).
2Assistant Professor in Skin and V.D., K.B.N. Institute of Medical Sciences, Gulbarga (India).
Abstract: Tuberculosis is a major health problem afflicting the world, especially the third world countries. Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is defined as the disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis resistant to at least Isoniazid & Rifampicin , with or without resistance to other anti-TB drugs. Contrary to earlier belief, multi-drug resistant Mycobacteria have proved to be as infectious as drug susceptible ones & can cause severe disease. Erratic prescribing by physicians & patient non-adherence to the treatment regimens are the major causes leading to the emergence of MDR-TB. World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for the management of MDR-TB. The regimens for the treatment of MDR-TB are designed according to the availability / unavailability of drug susceptibility test results. Second line anti-Tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs and the newer agents have vital role in treatment of MDR-TB. Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) is strongly recommended for all anti-TB regimens. In general, the treatment of MD R-TB is costlier, less effective & more toxic as compared to treatment of drug susceptible Tuberculosis. In last few years there has been increased incidence of what has been described as ‘Extensively Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB). A WHO consultation in held in March 2012 has come up with the diagnostic definition and various treatment options for the management of Extensively Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB).
Keywords: Drug Resistance; Tuberculosis; MDR-TB; XDR-TB Back to TOC