Drug‐Drug Interactions in Inmates Treated for Human Immunodeficiency Virus andMycobacterium tuberculosisInfection or Disease: An Institutional Tuberculosis Outbreak

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Abstract
The use of rifamycins is limited by drug interactions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected persons who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). During a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak at a prison housing HIV-infected inmates, rifabutin was used to treat 238 men (13 case patients and 225 contacts). Steady-state peak plasma rifabutin concentrations were obtained after rifabutin dosages were adjusted for men receiving single-interacting HAART (with either 1 protease inhibitor [PI] or efavirenz), multi-interacting HAART (with either 2 PIs or ⩾1 PI with efavirenz), and for noninteracting HAART (>1 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor or no HAART) without rifabutin dose adjustments. Low rifabutin concentrations occurred in 9% of those receiving noninteracting HAART, compared with 19% of those receiving single-interacting and 29% of those receiving multi-interacting HAART (χ2, 3.76; P = .05). Of 225 contacts treated with rifabutin-pyrazinamide, 158 (70%) completed treatment while incarcerated. Rifabutin-pyrazinamide therapy was difficult to implement, because of the need for dosage adjustments and expert clinical management.