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    INTRODUCTION

    Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem throughout the world,

    particularly in the developing countries. Nearly one-third of the global population (i.e.

    two billion people) is infected with M.tuberculosis and is at risk of developing the

    disease. More than eight million people develop active tuberculosis every year and about

    two million die of the disease. It is the leading cause of death due to a single infectious

    agent among adults. The highest burden of the disease is in the most economically

    productive age group of our society (15-54 years). The rapid increase in the incidence of

    tuberculosis in the developing countries and its resurgence in the developed countries led

    the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare Tuberculosis a Global Emergency in

    1993.

    The aims of the fight against Tuberculosis are:

    For individual patients - to cure their disease, quickly restore their capacity for activities

    of daily living and allow them to be within the family and community and thereby

    maintain their socio-economic status.

    For the community - to decrease the spread of tuberculosis infection through early case

    finding and by appropriate management and cure.

    Much concerted efforts are needed to control the tuberculosis epidemic. The first priority

    of tuberculosis control is the appropriate management and cure of tuberculosis patients,

    especially the infectious cases who are the source of transmission of infection in the

    community. It is the only way to break the chain of transmission of the disease.

    The fight against Tuberculosis is best conducted within the setting of a National

    Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) integrated with the general health services of the country.

    For effective control of tuberculosis and to prevent emergence of drug resistance, it is

    important to have a uniform treatment policy for all patients. Close co-operation of all

    health care providers with the NTP is essential at all levels, for successful implementation

    of the control programme. Participation of community health workers, religious groups,

    political leaders, and voluntary organizations is essential to achieve success in

    tuberculosis control. It is important that the community is made aware of the nature andextent of the problem of tuberculosis as well as its prevention and cure. It must be

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    stressed that the disease is curable and preventable and there is no reason for

    discrimination or stigma.

    The key in controlling tuberculosis is to ensure that patients take their medicines regularly

    until they are cured. Non-compliance of patients to treatment is one of the major

    problems faced by all national tuberculosis programmes. To overcome this, the strategy

    of Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) has been recommended by the

    WHO and accepted internationally. DOTS has been recognised as the only proven cost-

    effective method which can ensure cure. Under the DOTS strategy, a trained health

    worker actually watches the patient swallow his/her medicines, and ensure cure. This is

    the key to stopping tuberculosis at the source.

    Community participation will encourage people with symptoms of tuberculosis to seek

    medical advice for early case detection and improve patients compliance to treatment.

    Case finding followed by proper treatment reduces suffering, disability and death from

    tuberculosis and transmission of the disease in the community.

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    PART I

    BASIC INFORMATION ON TUBERCULOSISAND

    TECHNICAL GUIDELINES

    FOR

    TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL

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    1 TUBERCULOSIS

    What is tuberculosis (TB)?Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus-Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    and occasionally by Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium africanum. Tuberculosis

    commonly affects the lungs, but it can affect any other organ in the body.

    How does tuberculosis spread?

    The bacteria that cause tuberculosis usually spread through air. When a patient with

    infectious pulmonary tuberculosis coughs, sneezes or laughs, bacilli are expelled into the

    air in the form of tiny droplets. These droplets dry up rapidly to form droplet nuclei and

    may remain suspended in the air for several hours. Adequate through and through

    ventilation removes and dilutes these droplet nuclei, and direct sunlight quickly kills the

    bacilli, but they can survive in the dark for several days. When a healthy person inhales

    these droplet nuclei containing the tubercle bacilli, he/she may become infected.

    Risk of infection

    An individuals risk of infection depends on the extent of exposure to an infectious source

    and susceptibility of the individual to infection. The risk of infection is therefore high in a

    person who has close, prolonged exposure to a person with sputum smear positive

    pulmonary TB. The risk of transmission of infection from sputum smear-negative

    pulmonary TB is low and with extrapulmonary TB, still lower.

    How does TB develop?

    Tuberculosis develops in two stages. The first stage occurs when the tubercle bacilli from

    an infectious source enter the body of an individual but remain dormant without causing

    disease and is called tuberculous infection. The second stage is when the infected

    individual actually develops the disease and is called tuberculosis or tuberculous disease.

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    Risk of progression of infection to disease

    Once infected with M.tuberculosis, a person probably remains infected for life.

    Approximately 10% of people infected will develop active disease during their lifetime.

    The majority (90%) of people will not develop the disease and the only evidence of

    infection in these individuals, may be a positive tuberculin skin test. However the

    organisms may remain dormant within the body and the disease can develop at any time.

    The chance of developing the disease is greatest shortly after infection (within the first

    two years) and lessens as time goes by, but the risk probably remains for life. Any

    weakening of the immune system will lead to progression of infection to disease e.g. HIV

    infection, diabetes, malnutrition, prolonged steroid therapy, chronic alcoholism,

    malignancies etc.

    Pathogenesis

    Primary infection

    Primary infection occurs on first exposure of a person to tubercle bacilli. Once the

    tubercle bacilli enter the respiratory tract through inhalation, the organisms reach the

    alveoli of the lungs and start multiplying to form the Ghons focus. The bacilli spread

    through the lymphatics to the hilar lymph nodes causing enlargement of the nodes. The

    Ghons focus and the hilar lymphadenopathy form the Primary Complex. Bacilli from the

    primary complex may spread via the blood stream and lymphatics to other parts of the

    body .The immune response (delayed hypersensitivity and cellular immunity) develops

    about 4-6 weeks after the primary infection. In most cases the immune response is

    sufficient to stop the multiplication of bacilli and prevent development of disease. The

    primary lesion may heal by fibrosis or by calcification. A positive tuberculin skin test

    may be the only evidence of infection.

    In few cases (e.g. the newborn, malnutrition, HIV) the immune response may not be

    sufficient to prevent the multiplication of bacilli and the tuberculous infection may

    progress to tuberculous disease within a few months.

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    Post-primary tuberculosis

    Post primary tuberculosis occurs after a latent period of months or years after the primary

    infection. It may occur either by endogenous reactivation of the latent primary infection

    or by exogenous re-infection with TB bacilli.

    Natural history of untreated PTB

    Without treatment, after 5 years,

    50% of pulmonary TB patients die

    25% remain asymptomatic (good immune response)

    25% remain ill with chronic infectious TB

    Who is a TB suspect?

    A TB suspect is a person who presents with symptoms or signs suggestive of TB,

    particularly cough of three weeks or more.

    Who is considered a Case of tuberculosis?

    A case of tuberculosis is a patient in whom TB has been bacteriologically confirmed or

    diagnosed by a clinician.

    Definite case of TB

    A definite case of TB is a patient with positive culture for the Mycobacterium

    tuberculosiscomplex. (In countries where culture is not routinely available, a patient with

    two sputum smears positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) is considered a definite case)

    Common symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis

    Respiratory symptoms:

    Cough usually more than three weeks

    Haemoptysis (blood stained sputum)

    Shortness of breath

    Chest pain

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    Constitutional symptoms:

    Fever and night sweats

    Loss of appetite

    Loss of weight

    Tiredness (fatigue)

    Symptoms of Extrapulmonary TB

    The symptoms depend on the organ involved. Patients may present with constitutional

    features of the disease fever, night sweats, loss of weight, and loss of appetite or local

    symptoms related to the site of the disease.

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    2 CLASSIFICATION OF TUBERCULOSIS

    It is important to classify the cases of TB in order to determine the correct treatment

    regimen and the duration of treatment and for recording and reporting purposes, which

    will facilitate cohort analysis of treatment outcome.

    Classification of tuberculosis is based on:

    Site of TB disease

    Results of sputum smear

    History of previous TB treatment

    Classification by Site of disease and Result of sputum smear

    Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB)

    Pulmonary tuberculosis refers to disease involving the lung parenchyma.

    Smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis

    A patient with at least two sputum smears positive for AFB by directsmear microscopy

    OR

    A patient with at least one sputum smear positive for AFB by microscopy

    and chest X-ray abnormalities consistent with active pulmonary TB as

    determined by a clinician

    OR

    A patient with at least one sputum smear positive for AFB by microscopyand sputum culture positive forM. tuberculosis.

    Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis

    A patient with at least three sputum smears negative for AFB by

    microscopy and chest X-ray abnormalities consistent with active

    pulmonary tuberculosis and no response to a course of broad-spectrum

    antibiotics and a decision by a clinician to treat the patient with a full

    course of anti-tuberculosis therapy (Any patient given anti-TB treatment

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    should be recorded as a case. Incomplete trials of anti-tuberculosis

    treatment should not be considered a method of diagnosis).

    OR

    A patient whose initial sputum smears were negative for AFB, but whose

    sputum culture is positive forM. tuberculosis.

    This group also includes cases without smear result, which should be

    exceptional in adults but are relatively more frequent in children, because

    children rarely produce a positive sputum smear.

    Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB)

    This refers to tuberculosis of any organ of the body other than the lung parenchyma.

    Diagnosis should be based on one smear/culture-positive specimen, or histological or

    strong clinical evidence consistent with active extrapulmonary tuberculosis, followed by a

    decision by a clinician to treat with a full course of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.

    A patient with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis should be classified as a

    case of pulmonary TB.

    Cases of pleural effusion and intra-thoracic lymphadenopathy (mediastinal and hilar)

    without X-ray abnormalities in the lung parenchyma are also classified as extrapulmonary

    TB.

    Classification by previous treatment

    In order to identify those patients at increased risk of acquired drug resistance and to

    prescribe appropriate treatment, a case should be defined according to whether or not the

    patient has previously received TB treatment.

    The following definitions are used:

    New

    A patient who has never taken treatment for TB

    OR

    Who has taken anti-tuberculosis drugs for less than one month

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    Relapse

    A patient previously treated for TB who has been declared cured or treatment

    completed, and is diagnosed with bacteriologically positive (smear or culture)

    tuberculosis

    Treatment after failure

    A patient on treatment with category 1 who remains smear-positive at the end of

    5 months or later during the course of treatment

    Treatment after default

    A patient who returns to treatment, with positive bacteriology, following

    interruption of treatment for two months or more

    Transfer in

    A patient already registered in one district and transferred to another district for

    continuation of treatment

    Other

    A patient who does not fit into anyone of the above definitions: e.g.

    - A patient who has been taking treatment for TB for more than four weeks

    without being registered with the NTP.

    - A patient with smear-negative pulmonary TB or extrapulmonary TB who may

    have relapsed (but without any bacteriological evidence) although this may be

    rare.

    Chronic

    Patient remaining sputum smear positive after completing a fully supervised

    re-treatment regimen

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    Figure I

    CLASSIFICATION OF TUBERCULOSIS

    BACTERIOLOGYSITE OFDISEASE

    NO

    YES

    SMEAR

    POSITIVE

    SMEARNEGATIVE

    PULMONARY

    EXTRA

    PULMONARY

    TB CASES

    PREVIOUSTREATMENT

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    DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS3

    The highest priority for tuberculosis control is the identification and cure of the infectious

    cases of tuberculosis. Therefore any person with symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis,

    particularly cough for more than three weeks should be investigated.

    Investigations

    Sputum Smear microscopy

    Sputum smear microscopy is the most reliable and cost effective method of diagnosinginfectious cases of pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Whenever tuberculosis is suspected in a

    patient who has had a cough of three weeks or more, three sputum samples should be

    collected and examined by microscopy for Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB).

    Collection of sputum samples

    A PTB suspect should submit three sputum samples for microscopy. Three early morning

    samples are preferable. Patient should be advised to collect sputum after coughing

    following a deep inspiration and it should not be saliva.

    Outpatients may provide sputum specimens as follows:

    First spot specimen - Supervised spot specimen at the first visit

    Early morning specimen -Patient is given a sputum container to collect early morning

    specimen on the following day.

    Second spot specimen - Second supervised spot specimen is collected when the patient

    returns with the early morning specimen, on the following day.

    Chest X-ray

    The chest X-ray has a limited role in confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

    Diagnosis of tuberculosis by means of X-ray alone is unreliable. Abnormalities seen on a

    chest X-ray may be mimicked by a variety of other conditions. However chest X-ray is

    helpful particularly in the following instances:

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    Diagnosis of PTB in children

    Diagnosis of PTB in a suspect, whose sputum smears are negative for AFB

    The decision to start on anti-TB treatment on patients should not be based solely onabnormal chest X-ray findings and all efforts should be made to perform sputum

    microscopy.

    Sputum Culture for AFB

    Culture examination of sputum for AFB is more sensitive and specific than direct smear

    microscopy and may be useful in detecting cases where the number of organisms are

    fewer than can be detected by direct smear microscopy. But this is more expensive and

    takes at least 6-8 weeks to get the results.

    Under ideal circumstances pre-treatment sputum cultures for AFB should be performed

    on all PTB patients.

    However due to limited facilities available, sputum cultures are recommended only in the

    following situations: -

    a) Pre-treatment cultures in Category 1 patients (Ref. page no. 21) who have a high

    risk of drug resistance like health care workers, prisoners, HIV positive patients,

    drug addicts and contacts of known drug resistant TB patients.

    b) Pre- treatment cultures in all Category 2patients. (Ref. page no. 22)

    c) Pre treatment cultures in sputum smear-negative PTB patients

    d) patients who fail to convert at the end of two months of Category 1 treatment

    If there is likely to be a delay of more than 3 days in transporting the specimen, add a

    preservative (cetyl pyridinium chloride) to the bottle. The central laboratory will provideuniversal containers with CPC to the District Chest Clinics.

    Tuberculin Skin Test

    Tuberculin is a purified protein derived from tubercle bacilli. Following infection withM.

    tuberculosis, a person develops hypersensitivity to tuberculin. When tuberculin is injected

    into the skin of an infected person, a delayed local reaction occurs at the site of injection

    after 24-48 hours.

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    The Tuberculin skin test is of limited value in clinical work, especially in countries with

    a high prevalence of TB

    A positive test only indicates infection and not the presence or extent of

    tuberculous disease.

    A negative test does not necessarily exclude active TB.

    There are several methods of doing the Tuberculin skin test- Mantoux, Heaf and Tine

    methods. In Sri-Lanka, the Mantoux test is the method used.

    Technique of Mantoux test

    Several preparations of Tuberculin are available.

    The tuberculin that is used in NTP in Sri Lanka is PPD-RT-23+ Tween 80 (2 TU).

    The test is done by injecting 0.1 ml of tuberculin intra-dermally to the anterior aspect of

    the left forearm. The transverse diameter of the induration is measured after 72 hours.

    The results are recorded and interpreted as follows:

    0 - 9 mm - Negative

    > 10 mm - Positive

    > 15 mm - Strongly positive

    Interpretation of Tuberculin test

    A Positive Tuberculin skin test

    Only indicates past infection withMycobacterium tuberculosisor with

    mycobacteria other thanM. tuberculosis

    o May be due to previous BCG vaccination. This reaction is usually a

    weaker reaction less than 10 mm.

    A strongly positive test (>15 mm in BCG vaccinated individuals) favours a

    diagnosis of tuberculosis.

    However this should be interpreted in the context of clinical picture and other

    investigations.

    A positive tuberculin test is only one piece of evidence in favour of a diagnosis of

    tuberculosis

    A Tuberculin test has no value in diagnosis of re-activation. Repeat Mantoux testing is

    not recommended in the diagnosis of TB because repeat test is known to have a booster

    effect and may give a false positive result.

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    A Negative Tuberculin skin test

    A diameter of skin induration less than 10 mm is considered as negative. However this

    does not exclude a diagnosis of tuberculosis.

    The following conditions may suppress the tuberculin skin test

    HIV infection

    Malnutrition

    Severe bacterial infections including TB

    Viral infections e.g. measles. chickenpox, glandular fever

    Cancer

    Immuno-suppressive drugs e.g. steroids

    Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in children

    Diagnosis of TB in children is often difficult

    Only a small proportion of children have tuberculosis, which is sputum smear positive,

    and many children cannot produce sputum for examination.

    Since most young children swallow the sputum, gastric lavage or induced sputum may be

    obtained early morning and sent for culture for M. tuberculosis. However since this is

    very distressing to the child and the yield is low, it should be done only if it is essential

    e.g. when the diagnosis is particularly difficult or when the child is ill.

    Diagnosis of TB in children should be considered in the following situations.

    Respiratory symptoms more than three weeks not responding to broad-spectrum

    antibiotics

    Undiagnosed illness continuing for more than 2- 4 weeks

    Unexplained fever History of contact with an infectious pulmonary TB case, particularly in the same

    household

    An abnormal chest X ray

    A positive Tuberculin test

    Unexplained weight loss or failure to gain weight in spite of adequate nutrition

    Failure to thrive in an infant

    Focal lesions such as enlarged lymph nodes, abdominal mass, ascites, CNS signs.

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    4 TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS

    Treatment of tuberculosis is the cornerstone of any NTP. The modern treatment strategy

    is based on standardized short course chemotherapy regimens and proper case

    management to ensure completion of treatment and cure.

    Aims of treatment of TB are:

    To cure the patient of TB

    To prevent death from active TB or its late effects

    To prevent relapse of TB

    To decrease transmission of TB in the community

    To prevent the emergence of drug resistant TB

    Short Course Chemotherapy (SCC) is now the recommended treatment for tuberculosis

    and when properly applied, fulfills the above aims of anti-TB drug treatment.

    Requirements for adequate chemotherapy

    An appropriate combination of anti-tuberculosis drugs

    Prescribed in correct dosage

    Taken regularly by the patient

    For the prescribed period of time

    It is essential for the patients to receive and to adhere to the recommended course of

    treatment (usually 6-8 months) in order to be cured. If patients fail to take their

    combination of drugs regularly, the bacilli may become resistant to the drugs. The best

    way to ensure patient adherence to treatment is Direct Observation of Treatment (DOT).

    This means that the patient swallows the tablets under the direct observation of a health

    worker or a trained person. The strategy of DOTS has been recommended by the WHO

    and now internationally accepted as the standard method for TB control.

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    Essential (First-Line) Anti-tuberculosis Drugs

    The five essential anti-TB drugs are:

    Isoniazid (H)

    Rifampicin (R)

    Pyrazinamide (Z)

    Ethambutol (E)

    Streptomycin (S)

    Mode of action of anti-TB drugs

    A population of TB bacilli in a TB patient consists of the following groups.

    1.

    Metabolically active, continuously growing bacilli inside cavities2. Intra cellular dormant forms - bacilli inside macrophages

    3. Extra cellular dormant forms

    a) Bacilli which undergo occasional spurts of metabolism (semi dormant)

    b) Dormant bacilli, which gradually die on their own.

    Different anti-TB drugs act against different groups of bacilli.

    Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, PAS are active against metabolically active bacilli.

    Rifampicin has a special action against the semi dormant forms.

    Pyrazinamide acts in an acid environment inside cells e.g. macrophages.

    So far there is no drug, which can act on dormant bacilli

    TB treatment regimens

    Treatment regimens consist of two phases:

    1.

    Initial intensive phase2. Continuation phase

    Intensive phase

    During the initial intensive phase, there is rapid killing of TB bacilli. Infectious patients

    quickly become non-infectious (within about two weeks) and symptoms improve. Most

    patients with sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB becomes smear negative within two

    months. Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) is essential in the initial phase to ensure that

    the patient takes every single dose. This prevents development of drug resistance. The

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    risk of development of drug resistance is higher during the early stages of anti-TB

    treatment, when there are more bacilli.

    Continuation Phase

    During the continuation phase, fewer drugs are necessary, but for a longer period. The

    sterilizing effect of the drugs eliminates the remaining bacilli, thus preventing subsequent

    relapses.

    Patients who have taken anti-tuberculosis drugs previously are much more likely to

    develop drug resistance, which may have been acquired through inadequate prior

    chemotherapy. Such patients require a stronger regimen consisting of more drugs and for

    a longer period.

    Therefore before starting treatment, it is essential to question all patients closely and

    carefully to determine whether or not they have previously taken treatment for

    tuberculosis, so that they can be given the proper treatment regimen.

    Standard code for TB treatment regimens

    There is a standard code for TB treatment regimens and each anti-tuberculosis drug has

    an abbreviation.

    H Isoniazid

    R - Rifampicin

    Z - Pyrazinamide

    E - Ethambutol

    S Streptomycin

    A TB treatment regimen consists of two phases, the intensive phase and the continuation

    phase. The number before a phase is the duration of that phase in months. A subscript

    number (e.g. 3) after a letter indicates the number of doses of that drug per week. No

    subscript number after a letter indicates that the treatment is daily.

    E.g.: 4 HR means 4 months of Isoniazid and Rifampicin daily.

    5 H3R3E3 means 5 months of Isoniazid, Rifampicin and Ethambutol three times a week.

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    Categories and Treatment Regimens

    The treatment regimen recommended depends on the treatment category for each patient.

    Two treatment categories and standardized regimens are used in Sri Lanka.

    Table 1 Case definitions, Treatment Categories and Recommended Regimens

    Treatment RegimenCase Definition Treatment

    CategoryIntensive Phase Continuation

    Phase

    New cases

    - PTB smear-positive

    - PTB smear-negative- Extrapulmonary TB

    CAT 1 2 HRZE 4 HR

    Re-treatment cases

    - Relapses

    -Treatment after failure

    -Treatment after default

    (smear-positive)

    CAT 2 2HRZES / 1 HRZE 5 HRE

    Category 1 (CAT 1) - (Refer Flow Chart I)

    This is given to all newpatients:

    - New sputum smear-positive PTB

    - New sputum smear-negative PTB

    - New Extrapulmonary TB

    Recommended Treatment Regimen2 HRZE / 4 HR

    Intensive Phase

    Isoniazid

    Rifampicin daily for two months

    Pyrazinamide

    Ethambutol

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    - Treatment after default (sputum smear-positive)

    Recommended Treatment Regimen

    2 HRZES/ 1 HRZE / 5HRE

    Intensive phase

    Isoniazid

    Rifampicin

    Pyrazinamide Daily for two months

    Ethambtol

    Streptomycin

    Isoniazid

    Rifampicin Daily for one month

    Pyrazinamide

    Ethambutol

    Do the sputum smear examination at the end of the 3rdmonth.

    - If the sputum smear is negative, start on the continuation phase of

    treatment

    - If the sputum is positive, the four oral drugs are continued for another

    month

    Repeat the sputum smear, at the end of the 4thmonth (If found positive at the end

    of the 3rdmonth).

    -

    If the sputum is negative, start on the continuation phase of treatment.

    - If the sputum is still positive, further treatment will depend on the results

    of pre-treatment culture and sensitivity test.

    - If the results are suggestive of multidrug-resistant TB, such patients should

    be referred to Chest Physician for further management.

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    Continuation Phase

    Isoniazid Daily for fivemonths

    Rifampicin

    Ethambutol

    Do the follow up sputum smear examinations at the end of the 5thmonth and end

    of treatment.

    - If the sputum is negative, do the chest X-ray (optional) and anti-TB drugs

    are stopped.

    - If the patient remains smear positive after the completion of a fully

    supervised re-treatment regimen, he should be referred to the Chest

    Physician for management. Such patients are defined as Chronic cases.

    Fixed-dose combination tablets (FDCs)

    Tablets of fixed-dose drug combinations have been recommended. There are several

    advantages as well as disadvantages of using fixed drug combination tablets over

    individual drugs. Sri Lanka has introduced FDCs for TB treatment regimens in 2005.

    Advantages

    Prescription errors are likely to be less frequent because dosage recommendations

    are more straightforward and adjustment of dosage according to patient weight is

    easier.

    The number of tablets to ingest is smaller and may thus encourage patient

    adherence to treatment.

    If treatment is not observed, patient cannot be selective in the choice of drugs to

    ingest.

    Disadvantages

    If prescription errors do occur, excess dosage (risk of toxicity) or sub-inhibitory

    concentrations of all drugs (favouring development of drug resistance) may result

    Health care workers may be tempted to evade Directly Observed Therapy,

    erroneously believing that adherence is automatically guaranteed.

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    Poor rifampicin bioavailability has been found for some FDCs, particularly in 3 or

    4 drug combinations. Quality assurance is therefore essential.

    Using FDCs does not obviate the need for separate drugs for a minority of patients

    who develop drug toxicity.

    Table 2 WHO recommended formulations of FDC

    Drug Dose form Strength for daily use Strength for

    thrice- weekly

    use

    Isoniazid+ rifampicin Tablet

    Tablet or pack

    of granules

    75mg +150mg

    150mg + 300mg

    30mg + 60mg

    150mg+ i50mg

    60mg + 60mg

    Isoniazid+ethambutol Tablet 150mg + 400mg --

    Isoniazid+thioacetazone Tablet 100mg + 50 mg

    300mg + 150mg

    --

    Isoniazid + rifampicin +pyrazinamide

    Tablet

    Tablet or pack

    of granules

    75mg + 150mg + 400mg

    30mg+60mg+150mg

    150mg + 150mg+500mg

    --

    Isoniazid+rifampicin+

    pyrazinamide+ethambutol

    Tablet 75mg+150mg+400mg+

    275mg

    ---

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    Flow chart I

    Treatment and follow up of new smear-positive PTB cases - (CAT 1)

    2 HRZE (S) *

    Examine sputum (end of 2ndmonth)

    Positive Negative

    Continue 1 HRZE (S)* Start continuation phase

    4 HR

    Examine sputum Examine sputum

    (end of the 3rdmonth) (end of the 5thmonth and

    end of treatment)

    Positive Negative

    Stop ATT for 3 days

    Send sputum for culture

    and ABST

    Positive Negative

    Start continuation phase

    4 HR

    Examine sputum

    (end of the 5thmonth and end of treatment)

    Do a CXR**

    and stop ATT

    (Cured)Positive Negative

    Do a CXR** and stop ATT

    (Cured)

    Treatment failure

    Re-register and start on CAT 2

    * Streptomycin is used where Ethambutol cannot be given as in young children

    ** Optional