Special TB cases

Some TB patients are at greater risk and benefit from expert clinical attention. Patients being treated for TB who fit into the following categories should be evaluated by a clinical mentor as soon as possible and monitored carefully
throughout their treatment:

• Current pregnancy or breastfeeding women
  
• Children under the age of 5 years
• Diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB affecting the central nervous system and/or the pericardium
• Diagnosis of miliary/disseminated TB
• Other concurrent WHO Grade 3 or 4 conditions
• No documented viral load results
• Detectable viral load while on ART
• Currently on second-line ART
• Suspected TB immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS)
• Resistance to any ATT (RIF-resistant on Xpert or any resistance on drug sensitivity testing)
  
• History of any chronic lung pathology (asthma, COPD, etc.)
  
• History of any concomitant immunosuppressive pathology (diabetes, malignancy, etc.)
• History of previous ATT
• On IPT at time of TB diagnosis
• Patients not improving after 3 weeks of ATT
• Patients with adherence issues (presumed or confirmed)