[Effectiveness of chemotherapy of intrathoracic tuberculosis in children: late follow-up data].

Clinical and X-ray studies were made in 148 children 2-10 years after hospital treatment to evaluate the stability of clinical recovery by the frequency of relapses in relation to the use of different drug treatment regimens. Children from an experimental group (n = 75) received shorter chemotherapy with 3-4 drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide in uncomplicated tuberculosis plus streptomycin in complicated one) in the intensive phase of chemotherapy. Pyrazinamide was not used in the intensive phase in the control group (n = 73). Long-term follow-ups showed a high efficiency of shorter chemotherapy regimens in treating intrathoracic tuberculosis in children since they do not lead to the higher incidence of recurrences--2.7% in both groups. The latter occurred in adolescents who had severe residual changes, who had been irregularly followed up at the tuberculosis control dispensary after hospital discharge, who had not received seasonal preventive chemotherapy courses, and who had experienced complicated, generalized or acute tuberculosis.