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Tuberculosis

Infectious Disease · ~7% of blueprint
Pathophysiology
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (acid-fast) inhaled → granulomatous lung infection; can reactivate.
Signs & Symptoms
Chronic cough, hemoptysis, night sweats, weight loss, fever; classically upper-lobe disease.
Gold Standard Diagnosis
Sputum acid-fast smear & culture (gold standard) + NAAT; CXR; IGRA/PPD for latent TB.
First-line Treatment
RIPE — Rifampin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol (2 mo), then RI (4 mo). Latent: short-course rifamycin (3HP/4R/3HR) preferred.
Drug cardsRifampinIsoniazidPyrazinamideEthambutol
High-Yield Pearl

Isoniazid causes peripheral neuropathy — give pyridoxine (B6) to those at risk.

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Sources

Reviewed September 2026
  1. Updates on the Treatment of Drug-Susceptible and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Official ATS/CDC/ERS/IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline — ATS / CDC / ERS / IDSA, 2025
  2. Treatment for Drug-Susceptible Tuberculosis Disease; Treatment for Latent TB Infection (CDC TB clinical treatment pages) — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024
  3. Official ATS/CDC/IDSA Clinical Practice Guidelines: Treatment of Drug-Susceptible Tuberculosis — ATS / CDC / IDSA, 2016

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