Team approach to manage difficult-to-treat TB cases: Experiences in Europe and beyond

Publication date: Available online 8 December 2017 Source:Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia (English Edition) Author(s): L. D’Ambrosio, G. Bothamley, J.A. Caminero Luna, R. Duarte, L. Guglielmetti, M. Muñoz Torrico, M.C. Payen, N. Saavedra Herrera, M.A. Salazar Lezama, A. Skrahina, M. Tadolini, S. Tiberi, N. Veziris, G.B. Migliori As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), optimal management of MDR-TB cases can be ensured by a multi-speciality consultation body known as ‘TB Consilium’. This body usually includes different medical specialities, competences and perspectives (e.g., clinical expertise both for adults and children; surgical, radiological and public health expertise; psychological background and nursing experience, among others), thus lowering the risk of making mistakes – or managing the patients inappropriately, in order to improve their clinical outcomes. At present, several high MDR-TB burden countries in the different WHO regions (and beyond) have introduced TB Consilium-like bodies at the national or subnational level to reach consensus on the best treatment approach for their patients affected by TB. In addition, in countries/settings where a formal system of consultation does not exist, specialized staff from MDR-TB reference centres or international organizations usually spend a considerable amount of their working time responding to phone or e-mail clinical queries on how to manage M/XDR-TB cases. The aim of this manus...
Source: Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research