18th June 2024

Treatment

Treatment duration for TB depends on bacterial susceptibilities and the affected body site. For pulmonary TB with a “pan-sensitive” organism, treatment is 6 months with a combination of the first-line anti-tuberculous agents; rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Treatment in this case consists usually of a 2-month “intensive phase” of all 4 drugs, followed by a consolidation phase of typically 4 months. Other second-line anti-tuberculous agents used in the case of resistance or contraindications to components of the first-line therapy include fluoroquinolones, bedaquiline and aminoglycosides. All TB medications require regular monitoring for side effects and complications.