The Fixed-Dose Combination Regimen and Separate Drugs in Treatment of Tuberculosis

WHO and other organizations recommend fixed-dose combination formulations (FDCs) as a further step to facilitate the optimal drug treatment of TB. No study has been done in this regard so far In Iran. The purpose of this study is comparison of the Treatment Outcome of a Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) regimen with separate drugs for treatment of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis in Gorgan, Iran. This study is a quasi-experimental study in 528 patients with tuberculosis during the 2012-2013. In line with the national implementation of the care and treatment of tuberculosis, Patients were divided into two groups Fixed-Dose Combination (n=257) regimen compared with separate drugs (n=271) and treatment outcome in the two groups were compared. The data was analyzed by multinomial logistic regression using SPSS16 software. Of the 528 patients assessed for eligibility, 257 satisfied the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were assigned to a Fixed-Dose Combination regimen group (51% male, mean age of 19.6 years); 271 patients (52.4% male, mean age of 20.3 years) in the separate drugs group. There were no significant differences in Age, sex, living place and status of imprisonment between groups (P>0.05). Difference between the treatment outcome in the fixed-dose combination group and the separate drugs group (P<0.001). International standards for the treatment of tuberculosis are recommended to use Fixed-Dose Combination regimen of drugs. Findings suggest that Fixed-Dose Combination of anti-TB drugs have a more favorable treatment outcome than the separate drugs.