TB KaSPar
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Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious microorganism at the global level (1). Although recent decades have witnessed increased efforts in the fight to end TB, there are still fundamental systemic gaps, particularly in resource-constrained settings and places with a high TB burden.
Note: Unless otherwise specified, the definitions listed below apply to the terms as used in this handbook. They may have different meanings in other contexts.
Airborne Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission: Spread of aerosolized M. tuberculosis caused by the dissemination of infectious respiratory particles when suspended in air over long distances and time.¹
Air changes per hour (ACH): The number of times that the total air volume in a room or space is completely removed and replaced in an hour.
ACH
air exchanges per hour
AMR
antimicrobial resistance
ART
antiretroviral therapy
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid
DR-TB
Non-severe TB is defined as peripheral lymph node TB, intrathoracic lymph node TB without airway obstruction, uncomplicated TB pleural effusion or paucibacillary, non-cavitary disease confined to one lobe of the lungs and without a miliary pattern.
Infants aged under 3 months or weighing less than 3 kg (including premature birth (under 37 weeks) were not eligible for inclusion in the SHINE trial. No new data on treatment of congenital TB and very young infants aged 0–3 months with TB disease were received following a call for data.
As in adults, TB treatment in children and adolescents includes a 2-month intensive phase followed by a continuation phase of 2–4 months. In the intensive phase, TB bacilli are rapidly killed to prevent disease progression, transmission and development of drug resistance. In the continuation phase, dormant bacilli are eliminated to effect cure and prevent relapse.
