Treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

The development of effective treatment for tuberculosis has been one of the most significant medical advances during this century. The ideal of chemotherapy is to eliminate mycobacteria and prevent the emergence of resistant strains. To achieve this ideal, the practice of combined drug therapy has emerged and a variety of regimes have been defined to meet differing clinical circumstances. Patient compliance is critically important: the patient must take the correct drugs at the correct dosage for the correct length of time. Hospital admission and bed rest are not usually necessary in treatment; unless the patient's illness is immediately lifethreatening, he is best managed as an out-patient and encouraged to maintain full activity.