New patients with TB should not receive twice weekly dosing for the full course
of treatment unless this is done in the context of formal research.

Three times weekly dosing throughout therapy [2(HRZE)3/4(HR)3] may be
used as another alternative to Recommendation 2.1, provided that every
dose is directly observed and the patient is NOT living with HIV or living in
an HIV-prevalent setting.

New patients with pulmonary TB may receive a daily intensive phase
followed by a three times weekly continuation phase [2HRZE/4(HR)3], provided that each dose is directly observed.

Wherever feasible, the optimal dosing frequency for new patients with pulmonary TB is daily throughout the course of therapy.

The 2HRZE/6HE treatment regimen should be phased out.

In patients treated with the regimen containing rifampicin throughout treatment, if a positive sputum smear is found at completion of the intensive phase,
the extension of the intensive phase is not recommended.

In previously treated patients, if the specimen obtained at the end of the intensive phase (month 3) is smear-positive, sputum culture and drug susceptibility
testing (DST) should be performed.

In new patients, if the specimen obtained at the end of month 3 is smear-positive,
sputum culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST) should be performed.

In new patients, if the specimen obtained at the end of the intensive phase
(month 2) is smear-positive, sputum smear microscopy should be obtained at
the end of the third month.

For smear-positive pulmonary TB patients treated with first-line drugs, sputum
smear microscopy may be performed at completion of the intensive phase of
treatment.