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, A H Diacon, R F Patientia, A Venter, P D van Helden, P J Smith, H McIlleron, J S Maritz, P R Donald
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.
Figures
![FIG. 1.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/1932511/bin/zac0080766630001.jpg)
Serial sputum mean log CFU counts over 5 days of treatment with RMP at 20 mg/kg of body weight. Data are means ± 2 standard errors. There is no strong evidence of departure from a linear trend, as indicated by the fitted straight line.
![FIG. 2.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/1932511/bin/zac0080766630002.jpg)
EBA data from studies performed in Hong Kong (3), Nairobi (6), and Cape Town (15-17), including the present study (arrow). For comparison, the doses of RMP are normalized to a patient weighing 50 kg. Data are means ± 2 standard errors. The standard error is calculated using a pooled estimate of standard deviation from all studies, where available, and the number of subjects in the study.
Source: PubMed