Systematic review of efficacy and safety of shorter regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in children

Introduction: Recent years have witnessed the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resulting in drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). DR-TB is difficult to treat, necessitating prolonged therapy with multiple medications. However, attempts have been made to shorten the therapeutic regimen in DR-TB. Objective: This systematic review was undertaken to investigate the efficacy and safety of short-term regimens (STRs) for the treatment of DR-TB in children. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINHAL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, major trial registries, and grey literature. We searched for randomized controlled trials, and observational studies, comparing World Health Organization (WHO) approved treatment regimens of ≤12 months duration (shorter regimens) versus >12 months duration (longer regimens), in children (