This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Health department-assisted therapy ideal for pediatric TB patients
Cruz AT. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011;doi:10.1097/INF.0b013e318236984f.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Children who are at high risk for tuberculosis progression should receive health department-assisted drug therapy for the best outcomes, according to a brief report published online this month.
Andrea T. Cruz, MD, MPH, and Infectious Diseases in Children Editorial Board member Jeffrey R. Starke, MD, both of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, examined data on 289 children who were seen at the Children’s Tuberculosis Clinic at Ben Taub General Hospital from 2007 to 2010.
|
|
The researchers reported having data on 186 of 248 children who completed therapy and data on 62 children who did not complete therapy. The children who completed therapy typically received their medication an average of 4 months longer than those who did not complete their treatment.
The major difference between the children who finished their course and those who did not was the use of directly observed preventive therapy guided by local health departments, according to study findings.
The researchers also wrote that foreign birth and the fact that the child’s diagnosis was not obtained through a contact investigation also influenced treatment completion, but these variables were not statistically significant.
The researchers reported some limitations to the data, including a retrospective design; potential for recall bias; and unknown reasons for default. However, they concluded that the findings hold some important take-home messages for public health officials. Specifically, Cruz and Starke said, “Adequate TB control in the United States cannot function independently of health departments.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
|
|
The authors of this article offer valuable insight and well evidenced information about the effective use of directly observed therapy for children with tuberculosis, and at risk for progression of the disease. This is known to be a most effective modality in adults. To use this for children, where historically public health departments have relied on a parent, or other responsible adult caretaker, is an important change. This requires additional resources, especially with the number of children they were treating and following in this series, but clearly shows the efficacy of the important role for public health departments.
Fernando A. Guerra, MD, MPH
Infectious
Diseases in Children Editorial Board member
Disclosure: Dr. Guerra reports no relevant financial disclosures.
 |
Follow the PediatricSuperSite.com on Twitter. |