Latent tuberculosis: concordance and duration of treatment regimens

Over the past century, the UK has made significant progress in combating tuberculosis (TB) through improved health care and better preventative measures. However, it has now been identified as a new threat that needs concerted action. An important component in dealing with this threat is identifying and treating people with latent infection. This will prevent active disease and thwart the spread of tuberculosis infection. The aim of the study was to determine whether treatment concordance was affected by length of treatment regimen in the UK and to identify factors that may impact upon treatment completion. The audit was spread over a two-year period and looked at all patients on treatment for latent infection using the UK recommended regimens of either three months of dual therapy or six months using monotherapy. The results indicated that the 3-month regime had not improved concordance, as expected, with a slightly better completion rate in the 6-month group. However, the study did highlight a 'lost-to-follow-up' group of patients, who failed to present themselves following presumed completion.