Opportunities of application of short regimens for MDR-TBat the expense of using intravenous administration of anti-TB drugs during intensive phase

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of some anti-TB drugs (ATD) in intravenous versus oral administration in patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and to compare the smear and culture conversion of these two regimens and treatment outcome. Methods: In the randomized controlled open-label clinical trial 60 individuals with MDR-TB received chemotherapy regimens, which differed only in that the patients of the main group received linezolid (10-20 mg/kg), moxifloxacin (8 mg/kg) and PAS (150 mg/kg) intravenously during 5 month of intensive phase (short regimen); the patients of the control received the same drugs in the same doses via oral route during 8 month of intensive phase (standard regimen). Continuation phase of treatment was same in both groups (12 month). Results: In patients of a main group putum conversion (culture and smear) at the end of intensive phase achieved in 93,3% vs. 83.3% of control (p > 0,05); the time to sputum conversion was 1,3 months vs 2,8 months (p Conclusions: Administration of intravenous ATDs in short regimens of chemotherapy allows to improve the outcomes in patients with MDR-TB and save total cost of treatment.