Silicotuberculosis: long-term outcome after short-course chemotherapy.

Abstract

SETTING:

A medical facility for approximately 90,000 gold miners employed on 24 South African gold mines.

OBJECTIVE:

To establish the long-term risk attributable to silicosis of relapse from pulmonary tuberculosis treated with short-course chemotherapy.

DESIGN:

A consecutive sample of gold miners with pulmonary tuberculosis allocated to receive rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and streptomycin given on weekdays for 5 months. Radiographs were assessed at the time of diagnosis for the presence of silicosis. All of the men were followed for at least 5 years after completing their treatment, or until they left mine service or suffered a relapse of tuberculosis.

RESULTS:

The sample included 549 men of whom 167 had silicosis. The incidence density for relapse in silicosis was 1.55 (95% CI 0.97, 2.48) times that for the men without silicosis. There was no difference in the pattern of relapse over time between the two groups: the mean period to relapse in the men with silicosis was 2.6 years (SD 1.89 years) and for the men without silicosis was 3.1 years (SD 2.23 years) (P = 0.6).

CONCLUSION:

Silicosis causes a small increase in the risk of relapse of tuberculosis. Relapses in both groups were not confined to the first 2 years after completion of treatment.

• Authors: R L Cowie
• Journal: Tubercle and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (Tuber Lung Dis) Vol. 76 Issue 1 Pg. 39-42 (Feb 1995) ISSN: 0962-8479 [Print] Scotland
• PMID: 7718845 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Pyrazinamide
• Isoniazid
• Rifampin
• Streptomycin

Topics

• Adult
• Antitubercular Agents (administration & dosage)
• Drug Therapy, Combination (administration & dosage)
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Isoniazid (administration & dosage)
• Male
• Pyrazinamide (administration & dosage)
• Recurrence
• Rifampin (administration & dosage)
• Silicotuberculosis (drug therapy)
• Streptomycin (administration & dosage)
• Tuberculosis, Pulmonary (drug therapy)