Antituberculosis drugs in children.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global threat to children, as it often goes undiagnosed and leads to high morbidity and mortality. Active contact tracing leading to initiation of preventive therapy and early diagnosis with immediate effective treatment, whether it is drug-susceptible or drug-resistant TB, could reduce mortality and morbidity. In order to achieve this it is necessary to understand the currently available drugs, their role in treatment, their doses, and adverse effects. However, there is still limited pharmacokinetic data on antituberculosis drugs in children, few child-friendly formulations, and knowledge gaps regarding their pharmacodynamics. A discussion of the available antituberculosis drugs is presented, with a focus on their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, to provide reasoning for the currently recommended doses for children. More pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies, for both existing and novel drugs, are urgently needed to optimize dosing of antituberculosis drugs in children and for development of child-friendly formulations.