Efeitos adversos do novo tratamento para tuberculose no Brasil

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains a public health problem in Brazil. Several attempts have been made to improve cure rates of the disease, such as DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment in Short – Course) which aims to reduce drop-outs and improve patient compliance to treatment. Due to the increased primary resistance to isoniazid, the Ministry of Health decided to modify the treatment regimen, adjusting doses of isoniazid and pyrazinamide, and adding ethambutol in the intensive phase of treatment. The absence of data on adverse effects in Brazilian subjects under this new regimen, this study aimed to describe the occurrence of such events, comparing them to previous treatment. To this end, a cross-sectional, retrospective, analytical study was accomplished in the period from September to December 2011, with survey data from medical records of 35 subjects under the new treatment and 42 under the old treatment, from a secondary referral service for the treatment of tuberculosis in Belém (Pará). The most common major adverse effect on the new treatment was the liver disease, whereas the most common minor adverse event was gastric irritation. The liver disease was more frequent in patients who underwent the old treatment. Gastric irritation and itchy skin were more common in females, while patients from the fourth decade of life had a higher occurrence of itchy skin. Those retreatment had increased incidence of gastric irritation and arthralgia, independent of treatment. Already liver disease was more frequent in patients who were considered new cases underwent in the old treatment. In the temporal evolution of the adverse effects, itchy skin and arthralgia were more frequent at the beginning of treatments. In the old treatment, neuropathy is more frequent from the middle of therapy, while the headache has an irregular distribution. These data indicate that the new treatment of tuberculosis decreased occurrence of liver disease.