Results of 5 years follow-up study on the short-course chemotherapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in Niigata Prefecture were reported. This study was carried out during the period from Jan. 1, 1976 to Dec. 31, 1978.
The intensive group was treated with INH, RFP plus SM or EB for 9 months after negative conversion of tubercle bacilli in sputum by culture, thereafter either INH alone or INH+PAS for 6 months. As for the control group, the regimen of chemotherapy and its duration were not fixed and decided by physicians attending each patient.
Duration of chemotherapy of the control group was much longer than that of the intensive group. There were no significant difference in the radiological relapse rate between two groups after terminating treatment, and there was actually no bacteriological relapse in the two groups. However, several bacteriological and/or radiological relapses were noticed during chemotherapy in the control group treated with regimens not containing RFP.
