Tuberculosis: 9. Treatment

Table 1: Doses of and common adverse reactions to first-line antituberculosis drugs*     Usual dose, mg         Drug  Daily dose for   adults and   children, mg/kg  If given daily  If given twice  weekly Common adverse reactions† Isoniazid 5-10 300  900–1200  Hepatitis, peripheral neuropathy Rifampin‡ 10    600 600 Hepatitis, flu-like illness (reduced effect of some other drugs) Pyrazinamide 15–30 1500 2500 Hepatitis, elevated serum level of uric acid, arthralgia Ethambutol 15–25 800–1200 2400 Retrobulbar neuritis Streptomycin 15-20 1000 1000 Vertigo, tinnitus, renal failure Note: In alcoholic patients, diabetic patients and pregnant women, or if there is a concern for the patient's nutritional status, vitamin B6 (25-50 mg/day) may be prescribed. *Adapted from the Tuberculosis Committee of the Canadian Thoracic Society,17 and the American Thoracic Society.18 †All drugs may cause rash, nausea and fever. ‡Rifabutin and rifapentine have similar properties.

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