Tuberculosis prophylaxis in patients with steroid treatment and systemic rheumatic diseases. A case-control study.

Abstract

The results of this study suggest that in countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis the use of isoniazid (300 mg/day for 6 months) in rheumatic patients with exposure to prednisone (> 15 mg/day for three or more months) may be useful to prevent tuberculosis, independently of the results of the PPD reactivity test. However, a controlled clinical trial will be required to confirm these results.