Intensified Tuberculosis Treatment to Reduce the Mortality of HIV-infected and Uninfected Patients With Tuberculosis Meningitis: a Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial (Acronym: INTENSE-TBM)
INTENSE-TBM is randomized controlled, phase III, multicenter, 2 x 2 factorial plan superiority trial assessing the efficacity of two interventions to reduce mortality from tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in adolescents and adults with or without HIV-infection in sub-Saharan Africa: * Intensified TBM treatment with high-dose rifampicin and linezolid, compared to WHO standard TBM treatment. * Aspirin, compared to not receiving aspirin. The trial will be open-label for anti-TB treatment and placebo-controlled for aspirin treatment.
• Age ≥ 15 years
• TBM defined as definite, probable or possible
• Signed Informed Consent
‣ Definite TBM = at least one of the following criteria: acid-fast bacilli seen in CSF microscopy, positive CSF M. tuberculosis culture, or positive CSF M. tuberculosis commercial nucleic acid amplification test.
⁃ Probable TBM = total modified Marais score ≥12 when neuroimaging is available, or ≥10 when neuroimaging is not available (at least 2 points should come from CSF or cerebral imaging criteria).
⁃ Possible TBM = total modified Marais 6-11 when neuroimaging is available, or 6-9 when neuroimaging is not available.