Resolution of fever in patients on chemotherapy for pulmonary tuberculosis

Thirty-nine febrile and 37 afebrile patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were compared. Fever was defined as oral temperature of more than 37.2_C. Afebrile status on chemotherapy was presumed to have been achieved if patients remained without fever for at least seven consecutive days. Both groups were given short-course supervised chemotherapy in hospital consisting of isoniazid (INH), rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide for the first two months and INH and rifampicin for the next four months. The two groups did not differ demographically or by the presence of cavitary disease. However, more patients with fever had anemia and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) than afebrile patients. Resolution of fever occurred in 92% by four weeks. However, two female patients had fever lasting more than 60 days even though almost 1/4th of patients were afebrile one day after the start of chemotherapy and 1/3rd after three days.