TREATMENT FOR MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTIONS

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains the most important global cause of mycobacterial disease in humans. The central roles of consistent deliv ery, adherence to therapy, and built-in audit of practice have recentl y received heavy emphasis in the treatment of M. tuberculosis, particu larly in new guidelines from the World Health Organization. The manage ment of mycobacterial disease in the context of HIV infection continue s to pose problems, particularly in resource-poor settings. The most s ignificant development for the clinical management of HIV-associated M . tuberculosis infection in the past year has been the establishment o f the efficacy of isoniazid monotherapy as preventive therapy, after t he publication of three new randomized, placebo-controlled trials. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.