For health care providers there was developed a new guideline on anti-TB drugs side effects

In 2014 Rinat Akhmetov Foundation developed the guideline on “ANTI-TB DRUGS SIDE EFFECTS (PREVENTION, MONITORING, AND REDUCTION)” as part of “Stop TB in Ukraine” program. The authors of this manual are the employees of Phthisiology and Pulmonology Department of Donetsk Medical University: S.M. Lepshina, A.V. Tishchenko, A.V. Serdiuk., P.I. Stepanova and K.I. Yurovskaya. The manual is aimed for phthisiologists, general practitioners, and health professionals involved in DOT.

                  Since TB treatment is accompanied by intake of highly-toxic medications, the frequency of side effects for tuberculosis ranges from 8 to 20%. And if using the second-line anti-TB drugs (to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis), it may reach 85%. It is worth noting that one of the reasons for low-efficiency of multidrug-resistant TB treatment (from 20% to 49% vs WHO recommendation of 75%) is a high percentage of treatment failure or lost to follow-up due to side effects of anti-TB drugs. That is why this guideline will be especially useful for medical practitioners, who should provide a controlled and continuous medication intake by their patients and reduce the negative impact of treatment on patient’s general condition.

                  The guideline has already got a review from Phthisiology and Pulmonology Department of Kharkiv Medical Academy of Post-graduate Education, a positive feedback from State Expert Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and a review from Problem Commission of Ukraine. You can find the final version of guideline “ANTI-TB DRUGS SIDE EFFECTS (PREVENTION, MONITORING, AND REDUCTION)” on our website. After obtaining permission from the patent office, it will be published with the support of WHO Regional Office in Ukraine.