320.1.0.1.3.1 Primary Infection
- Inhaled droplets â alveolar macrophages
- Most contained â latent
- ~ 5% progress to primary disease in 1-2 years
- ~ 5% additional lifetime reactivation
- HIV: 5-15% / year reactivation
Symptoms (often insidious, weeks-months): - Chronic cough (> 2-3 weeks) - Fever (often low-grade, evening) - Night sweats - Weight loss - Hemoptysis - Pleuritic chest pain - Fatigue, anorexia
Examination: - Crackles, decreased breath sounds in affected area - Often normal - Lymphadenopathy (cervical, mediastinal) - Signs of pleural effusion
Tuberculin Skin Test (TST / Mantoux): - 5 TU PPD intradermal - Read 48-72 hours - Measured induration (mm) - Interpretation: - ⥠5 mm: HIV, recent contact, CXR abnormal, immunosuppressed, organ transplant - ⥠10 mm: immigrants from endemic area, IDU, healthcare workers, congregate settings, children, comorbidities (DM, CKD) - ⥠15 mm: low-risk individuals - BCG vaccination can cause false positives
Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA): - QuantiFERON Gold Plus (QFT) or T-SPOT.TB - ELISA-based; measures IFN-γ release after TB antigen exposure - Not affected by BCG (preferred in Taiwan + vaccinated populations) - Single blood draw - Specific for M. tuberculosis complex - Preferred over TST in BCG-vaccinated
LTBI Diagnosis: - Positive IGRA or TST - No symptoms - Normal CXR - Confirms LTBI
Clinical Features + CXR: - Symptoms compatible - Upper lobe involvement (postprimary): infiltrates, cavities, fibronodular - Primary: lower lobe + hilar LAD (Ghon complex)
Sputum Testing: - AFB Smear (Ziehl-Neelsen or auramine): - 3 samples (early morning preferred) - Sensitivity 50-80% - âSmear-positiveâ = highly infectious - Mycobacterial Culture: - Gold standard - 2-6 weeks for results - Allows drug susceptibility testing (DST) - NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test): - Xpert MTB/RIF (or Ultra): rapid (~ 2 hours) - Detects M. tuberculosis + rifampin resistance - Sensitivity 85-95% in smear-positive, 70-75% in smear-negative - WHO + IDSA Class I for initial diagnosis
Bronchoscopy if sputum unobtainable
Tissue Biopsy for extrapulmonary
Imaging: - CXR: upper lobe cavities, nodular, miliary, hilar LAD - CT: better for cavities, miliary, extrapulmonary - PET: monitoring (research mostly)
Indications: - High-risk for progression - HIV - Recent contact - Pre-TNF-α inhibitor - Organ transplant - Selected with risk factors
Regimens (2020 ATS/CDC/IDSA Update):
Considerations: - Drug interactions (rifamycins induce CYP enzymes â affect contraceptives, anticoagulants, HIV ART) - Pyridoxine (B6) with INH (prevent peripheral neuropathy) - Hepatotoxicity monitoring (LFTs)
Drug-Susceptible TB (DS-TB):
Standard 6-Month Regimen: - Intensive phase (2 months): RIPE - Rifampin - Isoniazid (+ pyridoxine) - Pyrazinamide - Ethambutol - Continuation phase (4 months): RI - Rifampin + Isoniazid
Total: 6 months
Drug Doses (Daily): - Rifampin 10 mg/kg (max 600 mg) - Isoniazid 5 mg/kg (max 300 mg) - Pyrazinamide 25 mg/kg (max 2000 mg) - Ethambutol 15-25 mg/kg (max 1600 mg) - Pyridoxine 25-50 mg/day with INH
Side Effects: - Rifampin: orange body fluids, hepatotoxicity, drug interactions (CYP induction), thrombocytopenia, flu-like syndrome (intermittent) - Isoniazid: hepatotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy (pyridoxine prevention), drug-induced lupus - Pyrazinamide: hepatotoxicity, hyperuricemia (gout), arthralgia - Ethambutol: optic neuritis (color vision + visual acuity baseline) - Streptomycin (rarely used): ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity
Monitoring: - LFTs monthly (more if abnormal or symptoms) - Vision (ethambutol) - Adherence (sputum cultures monthly)
Special Situations: - Cavitary disease + culture-positive at 2 months â extend continuation to 7 months (total 9 months) - TB meningitis: 12 months minimum + corticosteroids - TB pericarditis: 6 months + corticosteroids - Pottâs disease: 12 months - Bone / joint: 6-9 months - HIV: standard but watch for IRIS, drug interactions
Definition: Resistant to INH + RIF (at minimum)
Pre-2022 Regimens: - 4-7 drugs à 18-24 months - High side effect profile - Mixed results
Post-2022 BREAKTHROUGH: BPaL Regimen - Bedaquiline + Pretomanid + Linezolid - Nix-TB (2020) + ZeNix (2022) trials - 6 months total - Effective for MDR + extensively drug-resistant TB - WHO 2022 endorsement - Game-changer
BPaLM (Bedaquiline + Pretomanid + Linezolid + Moxifloxacin): - 6 months - For MDR-TB - WHO 2022 endorsement - TB-PRACTECAL trial 2022