EARLY BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF RIFABUTIN VERSUS THAT OF PLACEBO IN TREATMENT OF DISSEMINATED MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM COMPLEX BACTEREMIA IN AIDSPATIENTS

Rifabutin, 600 mg/day, was compared with a placebo in the early treatm ent of culture-proven Mycobacterium avium bacteremia in patients with AIDS, Following 14 days treatment, bacteriological success, defined as a negative culture or a reduction in the number of CFU of M. avium or ganisms per milliliter of blood by a factor of greater than or equal t o 0.5 log from the baseline, was observed in 7 of 10 (70%) evaluable r ifabutin patients and in 1 of 13 (8%) evaluable placebo patients (P = 0.002), Rifabutin is active against M. avium as a single agent and can make a significant contribution to combination regimens for the treat ment of disseminated M. avium infection in AIDS patients.