Before starting therapy

Before starting therapy for TB:

  • document the patient’s weight
  • assess liver function (perform liver biochemistry, discuss alcohol consumption and review hepatotoxic medications)
  • assess kidney function
  • assess visual acuity and colour vision
  • perform full blood count
  • perform HIV testing1
  • perform viral hepatitis (B and C) serology.

Discuss contraception with women of childbearing age, including the potential for drug interactions between tuberculosis therapy and oral contraceptives.

Institute infection control measures for patients with pulmonary TB.

1 TB is as an indicator condition for HIV testing. Indicator conditions are conditions that are seen in people with HIV infection (including undiagnosed infection), conditions that share a transmission route with HIV (eg sexually transmissible infections), or conditions for which management is altered in people with HIV infection.Return