DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i01.006

Pages: 32-37

TB remains a leading health problem worldwide. About a third of world’s population harbours the infection .Sputum smear microscopy for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) is currently the most important and widely available technique for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in low and middle income countries. RNTCP detects those cases that are epidemiologically most important i.e. those that are most likely to transmit infection to their close contacts. It is also relatively inexpensive, can be accomplished under field conditions, can be done quickly, and is highly specific. Six month long “short-course” chemotherapy is currently the most effective treatment for most patients with tuberculosis, and direct observational therapy, short course (DOTS) helps many patients to complete the 6 month or more treatment regimen. The goal of tuberculosis treatment is to render patients non-infectious, break the chain of transmission and to decrease the pool of infection.