Fully intermittent six month regimens for pulmonary tuberculosis in South India.

A large-scale multi-centric study in South India was organised by the Tuberculosis Research Centre, Madras. The regimens c o n s i s t e d o f Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Streptomycin and Pyrazinamide, administered under supervision, twice or thrice a week for the first 2 months, followed by different combinations of 2 or 3 drugs administered twice or once a week for the next 4 months. The patients were followed up with intensive bacteriological examination. The response at the end of chemotherapy and the relapse rates during a 4½-year follow-up in approximately 1,000 patients with drug-sensitive organisms initially and 200 patients with organisms initially drug resistant are presented