brand logo

Am Fam Physician. 2009;79(3):180

Author disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Original Article: Update on the Treatment of Tuberculosis

Issue Date: August 15, 2008

to the editor: Regarding the article on treatment of tuberculosis by Drs. Inge and Wilson, we would like to emphasize the importance of family physicians collaborating with the local health department for a number of reasons:

  1. suspected active tuberculosis is a reportable disease in most U.S. jurisdictions;

  2. management of active tuberculosis cases is often neither simple nor straightforward;

  3. most family physicians in the United States encounter tuberculosis relatively infrequently, whereas local or state health departments often employ highly experienced experts in tuberculosis management and follow-up of high-risk patients;

  4. local health departments have the resources to thoroughly investigate all potential at-risk contacts to a case of tuberculosis, and to make recommendations about monitoring and/or providing preventive therapy for at-risk contacts;

  5. health departments may assist with outreach education of health care personnel;

  6. unlike family physicians’ offices, health departments frequently have staff dedicated to providing directly observed therapy for both latent and active cases of tuberculosis; and

  7. upon request, local health department staff will help manage cases of tuberculosis in close collaboration with the family’s physician.

For tuberculosis and many other communicable diseases, the local health department is a valuable and often underused resource for family physicians.

Email letter submissions to afplet@aafp.org. Letters should be fewer than 400 words and limited to six references, one table or figure, and three authors. Letters submitted for publication in AFP must not be submitted to any other publication. Letters may be edited to meet style and space requirements.

This series is coordinated by Kenny Lin, MD, MPH, deputy editor.

Continue Reading


More in AFP

More in PubMed

Copyright © 2009 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP.  See permissions for copyright questions and/or permission requests.