Drug study/ Pharmacology: ETHAMBUTOL

Generic name: Ethambutol

Brand name: Myambutol

Drug classification:Antitubercular Agents

Indication: Ethambutol is used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. It should not be used alone
but rather in tandem with at least one other antituberculosis drug such as isoniazid. EMB shows
effectiveness against strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis but not so much against viruses, fungi, or
other bacteria.
Route and preparation:
For primary treatment and prophylaxis: Ethambutol should be administered in a single daily oral dose of
15mg/kg, concomitant drugs being maintained at their recommended dosage levels.
For re-treatment: For the first 60 days of treatment, Ethambutol should be administered in a single daily
oral dose of 25mg/kg.
Adverse effect: Loss of Visual Acuity
 Optic neuropathy/optic neuritis/retrobulbar neuritis
-Decreased visual acuity
-Scotoma
-Color blindness
-Visual defect (e.g., blurred vision)
 Peripheral neuropathy
 Hepatotoxicity
 Numbness and tingling of extremities due to peripheral neuritis
 Mental confusion, disorientation, and possible hallucinations
 Psychosis
Mechanism of Action: The mechanism of action of ethambutol is not completely known. There is
evidence that the drug exerts its bacteriostatic activity by virtue of inhibition of arabinosyl transferase, an
enzyme that polymerizes arabinose into arabinan and then arabinogalactan, a mycobacterial cell wall
constituent.
Application: Ethambutol is used with other medications to treat tuberculosis (TB). Ethambutol is an
antibiotic and works by stopping the growth of bacteria.This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will
not work for viral infections (such as common cold, flu). Using any antibiotic when it is not needed can
cause it to not work for future infections.