Tuberc Respir Dis.  1974 Sep;21(3):168-173. 10.4046/trd.1974.21.3.168.

A Feasibility Study of Intermittent Chemotherapy(twice weekly) with INH plus SM for pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Seoul City

• KMID: 2529014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1974.21.3.168

Abstract

A feasibility study was conducted on 598 bacteriologically positive tuberculosis patients who -were registered at 9 health centers in Seoul city during three month period (September 1, to November 30, 1971) Among the total 598 positive cases registered at the nine health centers during this period, 167cases (27. 9%) were selected by doctors’ s recommendation as a study group for the intermittent -chemotherapy. The initial 8 weeks daily intensive chemotherapy of 300 mg. Isoniazid, 10.0 gm. PAS. and 1. 0 gm. Sereptomycin was hllowed by twice weekly chemotherapy of high dose Isoniazid (650 mg.) and Streptomycine (1. Ogm.). Among the 431 cases who did not accept intermittent chemotherapy, 217 cases were selected randomly as a control group. The results of the study were as follows; 1. Among the patients in the control group, the reasons given for not accepting the intermittent .chemotherapy were as follows; 100 cases (45.9%) lived too far from the health center, 49 cases (2 1. 8%) were too busy with their own private businesses 39 cases (18,1%) were too busy with their jobs. 4 cases (1. 9%) were .students, 24 cases (1 1. 1 %) were too busy due to other reasons. Also it is interesting to note that 3 cases (1. 4%) refused the intermittent treatment because they did not believe in the effectivenss of such treatment. 2. The defaulter rate among the 167 cases in the study group was shown to increase from 7 cases {4.2%) in the first week to 118 cases (70.7%) at the eighth week of intermittent treatment. but thereafter the rate was not seen to increase. 3. As expected from a look at the increasing defaulter rate, the number of patients in the study group who appeared at the health centers twice weekly for the intermittent trεatment was shown to decrease from 160 cases (95.8%) at the first week to only 49 cases (35. 3%) at the eighth week, but thereafter the number did not decrease any further. 4. The defaulter rate was 68.3% in the study group and 11. 1 % in the control group at the 12 month of the trearment.