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Jeffrey Glassroth

Publications and source records attributed to Jeffrey Glassroth.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Tuberculosis 2004: challenges and opportunities.

Tuberculosis (TB) continues as a major public health challenge worldwide. HIV-TB coinfection is especially concerning as it accelerates progression of infection to active disease and amplifies spread of TB including drug resistant disease. Application of molecular biology and insights from classic microbiology to TB control have resulted in important innovations in diagnosis and treatment. Radiometric assay and, particularly, PCR, with nucleic acid probing, have reduced the time to diagnosis. Moreover, the sensitivity of these techniques is potentially log orders of magnitude more sensitive. Molecular techniques can be adapted to drug susceptibility testing. The differential activity and post-antibiotic effect of various drugs against TB have led to highly effective briefer regimens and to directly observed therapy. Insights into basic host defense against TB and description of the M. tuberculosis genome have created optimism for developing new treatments and effective vaccines in the years to come.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2003

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: the treatment of active disease.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains a worldwide health care challenge despite the relatively recent evolution of effective antituberculous medications and combination drug therapy. In many parts of the world, the continued high prevalence of MTB disease is caused in part by the lack of availability of medications and the growing problem of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). In the United States, however, errors in treatment constitute a significant portion of treatment failures and relapses. The eradication of MTB in the United States is an achievable goal through the strict adherence to several treatment principles that have been developed over the latter half of the 20th century. These include (1) the use of multiple drugs to which the organism is sensitive; (2) using these drugs in appropriate combinations for a sufficient period of time; (3) using directly observed therapy whenever possible; (4) using in vitro drug susceptibility and local resistance patterns to guide initial drug choices; and (5) never adding a single drug to a failing regimen. Strict adherence to these principles along with an emphasis on completing the total number of doses for a particular regimen will help to ensure fewer relapses/failures, achieve higher cure rates, and help eradicate MTB disease in this country.

Antitubercular Agents↗