Lung Disease & Respiratory Health Center

Tuberculosis Patient Treated in Denver

Typical Tuberculosis Treatment continued...

The most common cause of tuberculosis treatment failure is people's failure to take the medication as prescribed. This may lead to the development of drug-resistant organisms. Patients must take their medications as directed, even if they’re feeling better.

If doctors doubt that a patient is taking the medicine properly, they may have the patient come to the office for doses - called directly observed therapy.

Due to the fact that tuberculosis can be highly contagious, particularly if the patient has symptoms, such as a cough and fever, doctors or public health officials usually contact or trace the patient’s relatives and friends. Relatives and friends may need to undergo appropriate skin tests and chest X-rays to determine if they have been exposed to TB.

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