Abstract

GALLEGO, Claudio et al. Indicaciones y perfil de seguridad de las fluoroquinolonas en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis en un hospital general de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Rev. am. med. respir. [online]. 2018, vol.18, n.2, pp.111-115. ISSN 1852-236X.

Introduction: The floroquinolones are frequently used in the treatment regimes for tuberculosis (TB) in both those with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), where it forms an essential part of the regimen, as well as intolerance to first-line drugs in the TB sensitive. Objectives: To evaluate the indications to include floroquinolones in TB treatment and to describe the adverse events associated with its use. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of the patients who began treatment for TB between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2016 was performed. We define adverse event as that condition that results in the suspension of a medicine or the need to use specific drugs for its management. Group characteristics were comparing by using c2 test. Results: Among the 267 patients who began treatment in the period described, 24 (11 men) received fluoroquinolones representing 9% of the total: 19 moxifloxacin 400 mg/day and the rest levofloxacin 750 mg/day. Comparing the groups with fluoroquinolones vs. without fluoroquinolones, there were no significant differences in the percentage of men (46 vs. 58%), age (34.7 ± 12 vs. 35.1 ± 15 years), pulmonary involvement (58 vs. 68%), and proportion of dropouts (26 vs. 21%). There was a higher proportion of Argentines in the group with fluoroquinolones vs. without fluoroquinolones (71 vs. 44%, p = 0,012) and HIV-positive (46 vs. 8.6%, p < 0.05). Fluoroquinolones were indicated in replacement of rifampicin in 9 patients (37.5%) due to the interaction with antiretroviral drugs, in 9 (37.5%) by intolerance and in 5 (21%) for resistance to first-line anti-TB drugs, in 1 by the history of cirrhosis (instead of pyrazinamide). The time of treatment with fluoroquinolones was 203 ± 158 days (range 30-660) with no observed adverse events related to its use. Conclusion: The use of fluoroquinolones was not associated with adverse events in the group of patients studied, drug interactions in HIV positive patients and the intolerance to first-line drugs were the most frequent indications in the studied group.

Keywords : Tuberculosis; Fluoroquinolones; Adverse events; Moxifloxacin; Levofloxacin.