Why is adherence to TB treatment difficult?
Lack of knowledge about TB in general and treatment regimen and length in particular, loss of employment or the opportunity to work and subsequent financial difficulties, transport problems and lack of access to health services, social stigma and discrimination, medication side effects, long treatment period.
What are the challenges faced by the tuberculosis patient in adhering to treatment?
Increased drug resistance, low rates of case detection and treatment adherence, as well as system-level issues such as funding gaps and limited integration of TB services across provider types (public and private, secondary and primary care, and patient communities), all pose critical challenges for TB management [1].
What is TB adherence?
Tuberculosis (TB) is nearly always curable if patients are treated with effective, uninterrupted antituberculous therapy. Adherence to treatment is critical for cure of individual patients, controlling spread of infection, and minimizing the development of drug resistance [1,2].
What is the name for a strategy used to support TB medication adherence?
One of the most commonly used adherence interventions is directly observed therapy (DOT), in which a health worker, family member, or community member observes the patient taking TB medications [12]. In recent years, video-observed therapy (VOT) has gained attention as an alternative way of delivering DOT [13,14].
Why is noncompliance during TB therapy such a big concern?
Outcome of anti-tuberculosis therapy depends on patient compliance (Globe et al.,1993). Non-compliance to therapy can cause drug resistance and relapse of disease (Weis et al., 1994) and this leads to raise the burden of tuberculosis globally.
What method monitors the effectiveness of TB treatment?
Monitoring response to treatment is done through regular history taking, physical examination, chest radiograph and laboratory monitoring. The classic symptoms of TB – cough, sputum production, fever and weight loss – generally improve within the first few weeks.
What is drug resistant tuberculosis?
Sometimes drug-resistant TB occurs when bacteria become resistant to the drugs used to treat TB. This means that the drug can no longer kill the TB bacteria. Drug-resistant TB (DR TB) is spread the same way that drug-susceptible TB is spread. TB is spread through the air from one person to another.
What should be avoided during TB treatment?
As a TB patient, you must avoid caffeine, refined sugar and flour, sodium, and bottled sauces. Foods containing saturated and trans fats worsen the TB symptoms of diarrhoea and abdominal cramping and fatigue. Additionally, alcohol and tobacco are a definite no-no during the disease treatment and cure phase.