Medications and Monitoring in Treatment of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease

In the treatment of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease, clinicians must consider potential toxicities that may occur as a result of prolonged exposure to a multidrug antibiotic regimen. Frequent clinical and microbiological monitoring is required to assess response and guide treatment duration. This article summarizes toxicity profiles of the antibiotics that are most frequently prescribed for the treatment of NTM lung disease. The role of therapeutic drug monitoring during use of amikacin and linezolid is discussed. The available evidence to guide frequency and extent of medication monitoring during NTM treatment is provided.