Background:
Tuberculosis has been one of the common diseases of human communities.
Besides of disease-related complications, there are serious adverse
reactions due to Anti-tuberculosis (Anti-TB) drug therapy.
Objectives: To assess the rate of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs)
induced by Anti-TB drugs in the infectious disease department
for a period of one year. To detect serious and preventable recognized
ADRs.
Methods: All patients admitted to the infectious disease department
at Imam tertiary teaching hospital in Iran who received Anti-TB
drugs from July 2001 to July 2002 entered the study. These patients
were monitored for ADRs during hospital stay. The ADRs were then
classified based on patients and reactions factors. The causality
and severity of the reactions were determined using Naranjo algorithm
and Hartwig questionnaire, respectively.
Results: During the study period, 83 patients received Anti-TB
drugs; of them 44 developed at least one ADR. Total number of
81 ADRs was detected in this study. ADRs were recognized as the
major cause of hospital admission in 11 (13.3%) patients. The
most frequent system-organ class affected by ADRs was Liver and
biliary system (37%). Hepatitis was observed in 21 (25.3%) patients
leading to death in two patients.
Conclusion: Anti-TB drugs could cause significant adverse effects
both in quantity and severity leading to hospitalization, prolonged
hospital stay and even death. More attention is needed to prevent
these reactions.
