A clinical randomized trial on dihydroartemisinin piperaquin was conducted with drug resistant malaria patients. The effectiveness to cure the disease through 56 days follow up the recurrent by PCR manifested on 97.4% in DTP group and 100% in A3M group. In second study the rate of recovery was equal in all groups - DTP group 97.4%; DP group 98.7%; A3M group 98.7%. Dihydroartemisenin piperaquin was well tolerated. In less than 3% of patients, there was side effects which can be related to smoking. The preparation is inexpensive, effective, safe with high efficacy to drug resistant malaria parasite.
Multidrug-Resistant ; artemisinins

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

BACKGROUND: The Philippines is among countries globally with high multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) burden. An operations research on Bedaquiline (BDQ), a new drug for MDR-TB, was launched by the Department of Health (DOH) in 2016.

OBJECTIVES: This paper aimed to gather the opinions and first-hand experiences of clinicians in the Philippines regarding BDQ.

METHODS: A facilitated roundtable discussion among nine clinicians included in the operations research on BDQ in the Philippines was conducted in June 2018. Topics covered included: (a) considerations in the use of BDQ, (b) outcomes of patients given BDQ, and (c) perceptions on effectiveness and safety of BDQ. Recordings and field notes from the discussion were subjected to framework analysis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Participants gave BDQ an overall positive feedback due to the effectiveness, less toxicity, and ease of administration compared to other anti-TB drugs. Issues on BDQ included the novelty of the drug that caused doubts at first use and the limited application of the drug as dictated by the inclusion criteria within the context of the operations research, among others. The significant number of patients lost to follow up and ways to address this challenge were also discussed.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem autoimmune disease with variable manifestations, dysregulated type I interferon responses, and defective immune tolerance mechanisms. SLE, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and coronavirus disease 2019 infection may be a rare, complex combination presenting a significant challenge in screening, management, and infection control. Case: A 24-year-old female diagnosed with SLE nephritis maintained on mycophenolate, mofetil, and hydroxychloroquine developed disseminated multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) involving the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. She was started on an anti-TB regimen. However, QT prolongation and heart failure was noted, thus discontinuation of HCQ. On the 10th month of treatment with clofazimine, cycloserine, p-aminosalicylic acid, and delamanid, she developed fever, dyspnea, chest pain, and disorientation accompanied by progressive oxygen desaturation. A nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was positive, and a high-resolution chest CT showed new peripheral ground-glass opacities consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia. Oxygen support with a high-flow nasal cannula at 60% FiO2, low molecular weight heparin, meropenem, remdesivir, and dexamethasone were given; MDR-TB treatment was temporarily withheld. The patient recovered after 3 weeks of hospitalization, and MDR-TB treatment was resumed following hospital discharge. Conclusion This case illustrates the challenges in healthcare access brought about by the pandemic and the management of drug-to-drug interactions in the different treatment regimens for lupus nephritis, disseminated MDRTB, and severe COVID-19 infection.
Lupus Nephritis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

PURPOSE: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging threat to human beings. However, there is little data on the current status of MDR-TB in Korea. This study investigated the current status of MDR-TB in Korea using a survey of all the data from drug susceptibility tests (DST) performed across the country over the last three years. METHOD: The DST results between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2002 from 7 laboratories, which were in charge of all antituberculous DSTs across the country as of March 2002, were collected and analyzed to determine the actual number of drug-resistant or MDR-TB patients, annual trend, degree and pattern of resistance against anti-TB drugs, etc. RESULTS: Six laboratories used the absolute concentration method for DST and one used the proportional method. 59, 940 tests had been performed over the 3 year study period. The number of DST performed annually was 18,071, 19,950, and 21,919 in 2000-2002, respectively. The number of resistant tuberculosis patients (resistant against at least one anti-TB drug) had increased by 16.9% from 6,338 in 2000 to 7,409 in 2002. The rate of resistant tuberculosis among all DST results was 35.1% in 2000, 34.5% in 2001, and 33.8% in 2002. The number of MDR-TB patients (resistant against at least both isoniazid and rifampin) showed an increasing trend (14.5%) from 3,708 in 2000 to 4,245 in 2002. CONCLUSION: Approximately 4,000 MDR-TB cases are newly identified by DST annually and the number is showing an increasing trend. This study suggests that in order to cope with the current MDR-TB situation, the DST methods will need to be standardized and more aggressive measures will be required.
Humans ; Isoniazid ; Korea* ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is an emerging threat to humans. Despite steady efforts of the national tuberculosis control program, current prevalence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis rate is increasing in Korea. In Korea, it is effective to both improve the medical transfer system on tuberculosis, and also to make a new tuberculosis patient control system with integrated public-private sector. Improvement focused on the new medical transfer system is a suitable model considering current situation of the Korean medical system. This model can be achieved by replacing the traditional drug susceptibility test method, which requires a long turnaround time, with rapid molecular biological method, and improving the overall process of specimen transport system, report system, and guidelines for tuberculosis, as well. Using such model, doctors can discover multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients at an earlier stage, prescribe appropriate drugs at the right time, and effectively support directly observed treatment short course strategy. Therefore, this new model for improvement of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis control program, medical transfer system-focused public-private integrated system, can present an effective tool for enhancing and modifying functions of the current national tuberculosis programme in Korea.
Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

Bedaquiline and delamanid were recently approved for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Korea. A treatment duration of 24 weeks was established based on phase 2 clinical trial data, although the combined use of these two drugs is typically not recommended because it may exaggerate QT prolongation. Here, we present a case of prolonged treatment (48 weeks) with a combination of bedaquiline and delamanid for pulmonary MDR-TB. The patient had previously been diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB but had been left untreated for the past 9 years due to a shortage of effective drugs. A combination of bedaquiline and delamanid successfully treated MDR-TB, highlighting the potential efficacy of these drugs for patients with drug-resistant TB infections.
Humans ; Korea ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant