Clinical Observations of the Drug Induced Hepatitis during Antituberculosis Medication

Park, Moon Hwan; Yun, Sang Won; Kim, Kung Ho; Lee, Mung Sun; Cho, Dong Il; Rhu, Nam Soo

Abstract

BACKGROUND
In Korea, the prevalence of tuberculosis and hepatitis is high, and combined therapy with rifampicin and pyrazinamide is used in tuberculosis, so drug induced hepatitis is not only problem of tuberculosis therapy but also cause of treatment failure. However most of recent reports on drug induced hepatitis during antituberculosis medication have dealt with its pathogenesis and have stressed the biochemical, and histopathological aspects of the disorder, whereas this study was designed primarily to provide information on the clinical features. METHOD: The subjects of study were 1414 patients treated with antituberculosis drugs on the department of chest medicine at National Medical Center during the 5-year 6-month period from January 1, 1988, to June 30, 1993. Retrospective analysis of clinical features for the 29 patients who developed drug induced hepatitis was done.
RESULTS
1) The incidence of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis was 2.1%. 2) Male to female ratio of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis was 2:1, but case rates among males and females were not significantly different. 3) Rates of drug induced hepatitis according to age distribution shows the most common incidence between 35 to 49 year old age group, but rates among groups of age were not significantly different. 4) Drug induced hepatitis was most common in the case of moderate advanced Pulmonary tuberculosis(rate is 2.78%), but rates among types of tuberculosis were not significantly different. 5) 18 cases(62%) of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis patients had no signs or symptoms. In remaining cases, they were nausea, vomiting, jaundice, hepatomegaly, icteric sclera, right upper quadrant -tenderness in order 6) 22 cases(76%) of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis cases had occurred within the first month. 7) The duration of abnormal liver function was 28±5(Mean±SD), ranged from 5 days to 180 days. 8) One case of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis died. 9) The levels of abnormal GOT ranged from 64 to 1055U/L and GPT from 68 to 931U/L.
CONCLUSION
There are no decided predisposing factors of antituberculosis drug induced hepatitis, so it should be done biochemical monitoring as week as close monitoring for overt signs or symptoms of hepatitis to avoid the development of irreversible hepatic reaction, especially at the treatment of the first month.