Tuberculosis, or TB, is a serious disease which most commonly affects the lungs, but can attack anywhere in the body. Tuberculosis in the lungs is called pulmonary tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization, a person can be infected with tuberculosis bacteria, and suffer no symptoms. The body builds a defensive wall around the bacteria, a condition known as latent TB. If the TB is not contained, or walled off by the body, it is considered active TB.
Latent Tuberculosis
Treatment for latent TB is different than for active TB. Isoniazid is prescribed to prevent the tuberculosis bacteria from becoming active in the future. The patient is on Isoniazid for 9 months. A patient who has latent TB is not contagious and cannot give the disease to another.
Active Tuberculosis
A patient with active TB is put on a regimen comprised of at least four drugs. Medline Plus, a service of the National Library of Medicine lists these medicines as isoniazid--otherwise known as INH--, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. The patient may be on these medications for several months. The number of pills, coupled with length of treatment, makes it difficult for some patients to comply fully with treatment. A patient with active TB is contagious and is usually required to wear a protective mask when he is around other people.
Single Pill Therapy
MayoClinic.com discusses two drugs which deliver therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in a single pill. Rifater contains a combination of isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide. Another medication, rifapentine, is a single pill taken once a week during the last four months of therapy. Both drugs can help decrease the number of pills a patient has to take, and fewer pills increases the likelihood a patient will comply fully with his treatment.
Other drugs
Other drugs may be used to treat pulmonary TB, such as Amikacin, Ethionamide, Moxifloxacin, Para-aminosalicylic acid and Streptomycin. These prescriptions have varying effects on the tuberculin bacteria, but may be helpful for those patients suffering side effects from the standard drugs. The patient will be followed closely to determine if these medicines are effective in controlling the tuberculosis.
Drug resistent tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an extremely serious, but treatable, medical condition that can lead to death if treatment is not completed, according to the American Lung Association. In some cases, conventional treatment does not effectively control the tuberculosis. These patients are given a longer course of an increased number of medications. If the tuberculosis still cannot be contained, surgery is performed to remove the infected tissue.
