Description of Adverse effects of anti-tubercular drugs and their mechanism: An epidemiological review

Tuberculosis was considered to be among the top ten causes of global mortality and morbidity. The highest incidence of TB was found in developing countries. Estimates suggest that 32% of the world’s population was infected with TB.As per global TB report of 2018, in India, there were nearly 2.7 million new cases of tuberculosis and 4.1 lakh TB related deaths in India. This is despite the availability of treatment that will cure most cases of TB. The first line drugs used for the treatment of tuberculosis include Isoniazid, Rifampicin and Pyrazinamide all of which are hepatotoxic. Incidence of Anti- tuberculosis Drug induced Hepatitis varies from 3 -28% in various studies with higher incidence in Asian countries. In this article, we discuss the adverse effects of drugs used for the treatment of tuberculosis.