Ofloxacin in multidrug resistant tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of death today and 3.81 million cases occurred in 1997 and 1998. Even today in spite of having four drugs like isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin/pyrazinamide and ethambutol for the intensive phase, the total duration of treatment remains six months. Because of the global health problems of TB, the increasing rate of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the high rate of co-infection with HIV, the need for effective non-toxic antituberculous agents is essential. Fluoroquinolones have been classified as drugs having low bactericidal activity by the WHO. To date, they have been used for preventive therapy, empirical treatment of patients with TB and retreatment of patients with relapsing TB. In-vitro and in-vivo clinical studies have identified ofloxacin as a promising new agent in the treatment of MDR-TB. Ofloxacin has been advocated by the WHO in case of MDR-TB, when susceptibility to test results are not available before starting the new treatment, in the continuation period (18 months) and if resistance is proven to at least isoniazid and rifampicin.