8.2.1 Tuberculosis drugs
Each TB drug has an abbreviation.
Table 8.1 – Categories and abbreviations of TB drugs
|
Categories |
TB drugs |
Abbreviations |
|---|---|---|
|
Drug-susceptible TB (first-line drugs) |
||
|
Isoniazid (standard dose) Rifampicin Pyrazinamide Ethambutol Rifabutin Rifapentine |
H R Z E Rfb P |
|
|
Drug-resistant TB (second-line drugs) |
||
|
Group A |
Levofloxacin or moxifloxacin Bedaquiline Linezolid |
Lfx or Mfx Bdq Lzd |
|
Group B |
Clofazimine Cycloserine or terizidone |
Cfz Cs or Trd |
|
Group C
|
Delamanid Ethambutol Pyrazinamide Imipenem/cilastatin or meropenem Amikacin or streptomycin Ethionamide or prothionamide Para-aminosalicylate sodium or para-aminosalicylic acid Isoniazid (high-dose) |
Dlm E Z Ipm/Cln or Mpm Am or S Eto or Pto PAS Hh |
|
Ungrouped |
Pretomanid |
Pa |
Notes:
- High-dose isoniazid, although not a Group C drug according to the WHO classification, is considered in this guide as a Group C drug as it is used as such when building a treatment regimen for DR-TB.
- Pretomanid is not categorized in the WHO classification and is only used in standard regimens for DR-TB (Chapter 10).
8.2.2 Treatment regimens
TB treatment regimens are expressed as follows:
- Drugs are designated by their abbreviation.
- For some regimens, the treatment is divided into two phases: intensive phase, and continuation phase. The phases are separated by a slash /.
- Letters in brackets ( ) indicate fixed-dose combinations (FDCs).
- Letters that are not in brackets indicate individual drugs.
- Second-line drugs are separated by a hyphen.
- Letters in square brackets [ ] indicate that drugs are used, but not considered as likely effective (Chapter 10).
- A superscript h (h) indicates that the drug is administered in a high dose.
- Numbers before letters indicate the duration (in months) of the treatment or of each phase.
- Numbers in subscript and angle brackets < > after a drug indicate the duration (in months) of the treatment with this drug.
|
2(HRZE)/4(HR): the intensive phase lasts 2 months with an FDC containing 4 drugs; the continuation phase lasts 4 months, with an FDC containing 2 drugs.
18Bdq-Lzd-Cfz-Cs-Dlm-[Z]: the treatment lasts 18 months with 6 individual drugs; Z is used, but not considered as a likely effective drug.
4Bdq<6>-Lfx-Cfz-Z-E-Hh-Lzd<2>/5Lfx-Cfz-Z-E: the intensive phase lasts 4 months but bedaquiline is given for 6 months and linezolid for 2 months only; the continuation phase lasts 5 months. |