Controlled preventive treatment of tuberculosis in childhood

Introduction. Controlled tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) significantly reduces the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) in children who adhere to therapy. Objectives. Based on a set of criteria, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of controlled TPT in children depending on the epidemiological environment Materials and methods. The study included 178 children diagnosed with tuberculosis infection (TI). Children with controlled TPT were divided into 2 groups: Group I (n=77) – without contact with a TB patient, Group II (n=53) – having contact with a TB patient. Children whose parents refused TPT (n=48) constituted group III. Statistical processing – SPSS 17.0 program. Results. No cases of TB were recorded in groups I and II. The disease was detected in 8 children of group III. The completeness and continuity of TPT in children of groups I and II was 100%. The decrease in the sensitivity of the test with recombinant tuberculosis allergen was 88.3% in children of group I, 81.1% in group II and 12.5% of children whose parents refused TPT (PI–III<0.05, χ2= 70.4). The tolerability of anti-tuberculosis drugs (ATD) in children of groups I and II was satisfactory. Conclusions. High efficiency and safety of controlled TPT have been established both in children from TI foci and in those with unspecified tuberculosis contact.