[Tuberculosis treatment today]

In West and East Germany the incidence of tuberculosis is declining. However, with an incidence of 22 per 100,000 inhabitants in West Germany and 17 new diseases per 100,000 inhabitants in East Germany it is not a rare disease. In the chemotherapy of pulmonary tuberculosis, isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ethambutol (EMB), streptomycin (SM), pyrazinamide (PZA) and prothionamide (PTH) are the most relevant drugs. The chemotherapy of tuberculosis is always carried out as a combination therapy of at least three drugs. A rapid cultural conversion of the sputum as well as low rates of failures and relapses are regarded as parameters of quality. Therefore six-month-regimens with initially four drugs (INH + RMP + PZA + SM or EMB) or nine-(twelve-) month-regimens with initially three medicaments (INH + RMP + PZA, or INH + RMP + EMB or INH + RMP + SM) may be recommended. Peculiarities of the therapy in patients with AIDS, with drug resistance, with relapses.