Incorporating therapeutic drug monitoring into the World Health Organization hierarchy of tuberculosis diagnostics. Issue 6 (17th March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ghimire, Samiksha; Bolhuis, Mathieu S.; Sturkenboom, Marieke G.G.; Akkerman, Onno W.; de Lange, Wiel C.M.; van der Werf, Tjip S.; Alffenaar, Jan-Willem C.
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 47:Issue 6(2016)
• Page Start: 1867
• Page End: 1869
• Publication Date: 2016-03-17
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00040-2016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB), once considered as a disease of the past generally afflicting poor people, still claims 1.5 million lives annually [1]. Although 86% of patients with drug susceptible TB are cured with established first-line drugs, treatment is often longer than 6 months due to slow response, compliance problems or adverse drug reactions. In addition, emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with an unacceptably low treatment success rate of 50% and TB–HIV co-infection have challenged the goals of global TB control and elimination [1]. Incorporating therapeutic drug monitoring into the WHO hierarchy of tuberculosis diagnostics http://ow.ly/YcRMw