Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Validated LC-MS/MS Panel for Quantifying 11 Drug-Resistant TB Medications in Small Hair Samples
Published on: May 19, 2020
Analysis of panel physician inquiries to U.S. TB Centers of Excellence, 2018-2022
E Leithead1, S Subramanian1, K Pimenta2
1Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
Background:
Applicants seeking entry into the United States are examined overseas for TB by panel physicians and international immigration clinicians guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) TB Technical Instructions. To support this effort, CDC-funded TB Centers of Excellence (COEs) provide web-based expert consultation, with documentation stored in a medical consultation database (MCD). MCD analysis can reveal inquiry trends among panel physicians worldwide.
Methods:
TB-related queries in the COE MCD from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022, were analyzed using a descriptive coding scheme developed through inductive analysis, allowing multiple themes per entry.
Results:
A total of 215 queries from 126 patients in 28 countries were analyzed. Major themes included evaluating diagnostic criteria, tailoring treatment, and managing comorbidities or adverse reactions. Diagnostic questions (n = 104, 48.4%) included mycobacterial culture, smear, and radiology interpretation. Treatment tailoring inquiries involved optimizing the initial regimen (n = 89, 41.4%) or modifying existing regimens (n = 26, 12.1%). Additionally, 50 consultations (23.2%) mentioned comorbidities, while 47 (21.9%) described adverse reactions.
Conclusion:
The MCD analysis identified topics where TB expertise was provided in overseas medical evaluation. These topics highlight opportunities for targeted panel physician education to improve the health of individual applicants and advance U.S. TB elimination efforts.
More Related Videos
10:04Analysis of 18FDG PET/CT Imaging as a Tool for Studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Treatment in Non-human Primates
Published on: September 5, 2017
06:26Author Spotlight: Optimizing CFU Determination for Efficient Assessment of TB Vaccine Efficacy and Antigen Presentation Analysis
Published on: July 28, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis III
The first classification is based on the development of the disease, and it includes the following categories:
Steps in Outbreak Investigation