[Chemoprophylaxis of tuberculosis: compliance to treatment in the pediatric population]. / Quimioprofilaxis tuberculosa: grado de cumplimiento en la población pediátrica.

We have reviewed the success of tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis in 369 children. These children ranged from 4 months to 14 years of age and had been prescribed chemoprophylaxis with Isoniazide at 10 mg/kg/day. Out of these, 258 (69.91%) finished the prophylaxis and 111 (30.08%) did not. Taking into account the reason for the consultation, of those who sought assistance due to contact with a patient with tuberculosis, 70.33% performed the treatment and 29.60% did not. For those in which the reason was a positive Mantoux, the data were 68.1% and 30.8%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. We feel that the relatively high rate of noncompliance in our patients is a matter of concern. At the present time, chemoprophylaxis with Isoniazide is the best method available for the prevention of tuberculosis. We emphasize the need for its proper performance. We report several measures, such as the determination of Isoniazide metabolites in urine, which may be beneficial for better control and follow-up of these patients.