Authors
Guy E Thwaites, Nguyen Duc Bang, Nguyen Huy Dung, Hoang Thi Quy, Do Thi Tuong Oanh, Nguyen Thi Cam Thoa, Nguyen Quang Hien, Nguyen Tri Thuc, Nguyen Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, Nguyen Ngoc Lan, Nguyen Hong Duc, Vu Ngoc Tuan, Cao Huu Hiep, Tran Thi Hong Chau, Pham Phuong Mai, Nguyen Thi Dung, Kasia Stepniewska, Nicholas J White, Tran Tinh Hien, Jeremy J Farrar
Publication date
2004/10/21
Journal
New England Journal of Medicine
Volume
351
Issue
17
Pages
1741-1751
Publisher
Massachusetts Medical Society
Description
Background
Tuberculous meningitis kills or disables more than half of those affected with the disease. Previous studies have been too small to determine whether adjunctive treatment with corticosteroids can reduce the risk of disability or death among adults with tuberculous meningitis, and the effect of coinfection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unclear.
Methods
We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Vietnam in patients over 14 years of age who had tuberculous meningitis, with or without HIV infection, to determine whether adjunctive treatment with dexamethasone reduced the risk of death or severe disability after nine months of follow-up. We conducted prespecified subgroup analyses and intention-to-treat analyses.
Results
A total of 545 patients were randomly assigned to groups that received either dexamethasone (274 patients) or placebo (271 patients). Only …
Total citations
Scholar articles
GE Thwaites, ND Bang, NH Dung, HT Quy, DTT Oanh… - New England Journal of Medicine, 2004