[Intermittent polychemotherapy of patients with chronic destructive pulmonary tuberculosis with associated diabetes...

Forty patients with chronic destructive tuberculosis of the lung and concomitant diabetes mellitus treated with the routine chemotherapeutic agents without any effect were subjected to intermittent polychemotherapy. Combinations of 4, 5 and 6 drugs were used. Some of them were administered intermittently. The period of the polychemotherapy ranged from 4 to 8 months and was followed by less intensive regimens. It was shown that the polychemotherapy allowed one to increase the treatment efficacy in the patients with chronic destructive tuberculosis of the lung and concomitant diabetes mellitus. Discontinuation of tubercle bacilli isolation, cavern healing and partial cavern regression were observed in 25 (63 per cent), 11 (26 per cent) and 27 (54 per cent) patients, respectively. The clinical picture did not change in 6 patients (15 per cent). Adverse reactions to the polychemotherapy developed in 17 patients (42.5 per cent). Markedly pronounced adverse reactions requiring discontinuation of the drug use in 7 (17.5 per cent) of them were recorded. Lowering a dose of the drug, applying corticosteroids, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, cerucal, lipamide, carsyl and unithiol allowed one to eliminate the adverse reactions developed.