02370nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653001200065653003300077653003000110653001100140653002200151653001100173653001200184653000900196653001600205653001300221653001700234100001300251700001100264700001700275700001600292245010300308300000800411490000700419520161600426022001402042       1987                            d  c1987 Mar10aAdult10aDapsone10aDrug Administration Schedule10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aFollow-Up Studies10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRifampin10aTime Factors1 aKatoch K1 aRamu G1 aRamanathan U1 aDesikan K V00aComparison of three regimens containing rifampin for treatment of paucibacillary leprosy patients.  a1-80 v553 a<p>Three regimens containing rifampin have been tried in paucibacillary leprosy patients. The patients were selected according to the criteria laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Regimen I, rifampin 600 mg is given once a month for 6 months with dapsone 100 mg daily. Treatment is stopped at the end of 6 months. Regimen II is the same as Regimen I, and is supplemented with an additional 6 months' treatment with dapsone 100 mg daily. Regimen III is the same as Regimen II, except that rifampin is administered daily for the first 7 days. At the end of the scheduled treatment period, 72.2% of the patients in Regimen I, 94.9% of the patients in Regimen II, and 97.1% in Regimen III became inactive. Eighteen out of the 25 active cases at the time Regimen I treatment was stopped had to be restarted on drug therapy since they showed a worsening of their disease, as indicated by an increase in their bacterial index, the appearance of new lesions, renewed activity in old lesions, an increase in the size of old lesions, or development of nerve abscesses. The remaining seven cases regressed without further treatment. All four Regimen II patients and two Regimen III patients who had evidence of activity at the time treatment was stopped did not require any further treatment. On follow-up for 1 1/2 years, three Regimen I patients and none of the Regimen II or Regimen III patients showed relapses. It is thus apparent that rifampin helps to shorten the time duration and to increase the cost effectiveness of treatment of paucibacillary leprosy cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)</p>  a0148-916X