ABSTRACT
Due to the scarcity of published articles on short-course chemotherapeutic regimens for pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis, the following study has been carried out: Twenty-five children diagnosed of pulmonary tuberculosis were administered a short course therapeutic regimen consisting of three tuberculostatics for the first two month (isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide) and only two (isoniazid and rifampicin) for the following four months. The results were compared with those obtained from a control group of twenty-five children receiving the "classical" therapy: two drugs (isoniazid and rifampicin) for a nine month period. The statistical analysis did not demonstrate any significant difference related to evolution, duration and complications of the disease, between both groups. Therefore, this short course therapeutic regimen could be accepted for pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis.
