use of isoniazid in treating tb

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Benefits and risks of Isoniazid:
1033 patients were studied to deduce the complications of isoniazid (INH). They were given d INH for at least 18 months, with or without other drugs. Out of the 25 patients who developed hepatitis, only three cases were actually due to INH: (0.29%). There was also a case of chronic liver disease which may have been due to Isoniazid in 2 patients. The biggest concern with Isoniazid was the development of central nervous system disorders, which was mainly peripheral neuropathy, in 12 patients. However this isn’t a large cause for concern as the study was published in 1978 and now in treatment there are drugs available to take in combination with isoniazid to prevent peripheral neuropathy. Although Isoniazid is safe it is never taken alone. It is taken in combination with Rifampicin, and out of the 25 patients developing hepatitis the majority of them (15) were due to rifampicin31. This is a larger percentage of 1.5%, however the value is not larger to deem Rifampicin unsafe. Overall it was decided:
‘When the risk of hepatitis was compared with the risks of developing, or dying from, tuberculosis, it was found that the benefits of INH chemoprophylaxis outweighed the risks’31
This information was published by the government and had a sample size of ‘1033’ people, also Isoniazid chemoprophylaxis was used for 18 months; more than twice the duration that isoniazid in combination with other drugs would be used in treatment today. So patients may be less likely to develop symptoms. Although this trial is old, it is very reliable as it has a large sample size and is unbiased as the information is from a MEDLINE database. Also as this was a large study, it can be assumed it was carried out fairly and there w...

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...much knowledge in the field required to write the book. Also the publishers of this book, ‘Chelsea house Publisher’, are a globally known, well respected publisher and have published many award winning titles.
Another source I used was the journal article ‘Hydrogen peroxide in the human body’ by Barry Halliwell. This is a reliable source as the article has been peer reviewed: a process which involves many professional reviewers examining the content of the article for accuracy and providing critique. In order for the article to be published, reviewers must agree the article is exceptional and fully accurate. Halliwell is a professor and earned a BA in biomedicine from the University of Oxford. He was the head of a universities biochemistry department, and dedicated much of his life to research. He is a highly educated professor, confirming he is a reliable source.

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