Pulmonary tuberculosis treated with isoprodian and rifampicin or pyrazinamide

Three regimens of 9 months' duration, 2 containing Isoprodian (isoniazid, prothionamide and dapsone) and either rifampicin or pyrazinamide and the third, a former standard regimen, isoniazid, streptomycin and pyrazinamide, were allocated at random to 436 untreated African tuberculosis patients. In the course of the trial 83 were excluded for various reasons and 93 were lost. After 3 months of hospitalization, patients took either Isoprodian or isoniazid at home for 6 months and were then followed up for 24 months. The Isoprodian plus rifampicin regimen achieved 97% bacteriological cure, the Isoprodian plus pyrazinamide regimen 86% and the standard regimen 91%. Of 35 patients found to harbour drug-resistant strains 22 were cured. There were 15 relapses in all. Absconding was the most common cause of failure.