The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
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Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. · Apr 2012
Review Meta AnalysisLinezolid for the treatment of complicated drug-resistant tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Current treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is inadequate, and outcomes are significantly poorer than for drug-susceptible TB, particularly for patients previously treated with second-line drugs, treatment failures or extensively drug-resistant (XDR-) TB patients (complicated DR-TB). Linezolid is not recommended for routine DR-TB treatment due to the lack of efficacy data, but is suggested for patients where adequate second-line regimens are difficult to design. ⋯ Treatment success with linezolid was equal to or better than that commonly achieved for uncomplicated DR-TB, and better than previous reports for previously treated patients and those with XDR-TB. While data are limited, linezolid appears be a useful drug, albeit associated with significant adverse events, and should be considered in the treatment of complicated DR-TB.