Low level of compliance with tuberculosis treatment in children: monitoring by urine tests

• Published in: Annals of tropical paediatrics Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 47 - 50
• Main Authors: Palanduz, Ayşe, Gültekin, Derya, Erdem, Ela, Kayaalp, Nimet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Taylor & Francis 01.03.2003; Maney
• Subjects: Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics, Antitubercular - therapeutic use; Antibiotics, Antitubercular - urine; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Antitubercular Agents - urine; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Drug Therapy, Combination; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Isoniazid - therapeutic use; Isoniazid - urine; Medical sciences; Patient Compliance; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pyrazinamide - therapeutic use; Pyrazinamide - urine; Rifampin - therapeutic use; Rifampin - urine; Tropical medicine; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - urine; Asia; Turkey; Human; Infection; Urine; Tuberculosis; Surveillance; Bacteriosis; Treatment compliance; Antituberculous agent; Mycobacterial infection; Antibacterial agent; Child
• ISSN: 0272-4936; 1465-3281
• DOI: 10.1179/000349803125002869

Patient compliance should be ensured in an effective tuberculosis control programme. We measured patient compliance by detecting antituberculous drugs in the urine of 237 outpatients receiving one to three antituberculous drugs. Positive controls were 20 hospitalised patients, supervised to receive isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF) and pyrazinamide (PZA), and negative controls were not on any drugs. Among the 237 study patients, only 67% were found to be taking the appropriate treatment and 8% had taken none. We conclude that a remarkable number of patients (33%) were non-compliant with treatment. The detection of antituberculous drugs in the urine is a quick, simple and inexpensive means of measuring adherence to treatment. Unless directly observed therapy (DOT) is adopted, we recommend routine urine testing for antituberculous drugs to identify defaulting patients.