Update on the Treatment of Pediatric Tuberculous Meningitis

Abstract

The ESPID Reports and Reviews of Pediatric Infectious Diseases series topics, authors and contents are chosen and approved independently by the Editorial Board of ESPID. CONTENTSUpdate on the Treatment of Pediatric Tuberculous Meningitis

Towards Shorter, Child-Friendly Regimens for Treatment of Tuberculosis Disease and Infection in Children

“…2 Therefore, in South Africa, an alternative 6-month regimen that uses higher dosages of isoniazid and rifampicin and replaces ethambutol with ethionamide, has been the standard of care for over a decade. 8 As observational evidence from children treated for TB meningitis in South Africa reports much lower mortality than has been observed elsewhere using the 12-month regimen, WHO now recommends this shorter regimen as an alternative to the longer regimen using standard dosages (Table ). 5 Rifampicin dosage requires consideration as recent evidence suggests improved neurodevelopmental outcomes among survivors of TB meningitis with higher dosages of rifampicin.…”