In November 2015, the World Health Organization convened a multidisciplinary group of TB and drug-resistant TB experts to act as a Guidelines Development Group (GDG) for the update of policy recommendations on the treatment of drug-resistant TB. The outcome of the meeting has included an option for a shortened regimen (total duration of therapy 9 to 12 months) along with the conventional regimen (total duration of therapy 20 to 26 months) for MDR-TB treatment. Directly observed therapy (DOT) is mandatory for all patients with drug-resistant TB.
Compliance with MDR-TB therapy is particularly difficult because regimens are prolonged and employ drugs with considerable adverse effects. Shortened regimen The shortened MDR-TB regimen was described by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016; it is appropriate for non-pregnant patients with MDR-TB who meet the following criteria: Absence of…
