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Table 4. Examples of Priority Situations for the Use of
Directly Observed Therapy
Patients With the Following Conditions/Circumstances
• Positive sputum smears
• Delayed culture conversion (sputum obtained at/after completion of intensive-phase
therapy is culture-positive)
• Treatment failure
• Relapse
• Drug resistance
• Homelessness
• Current or prior substance abuse
• Use of intermittent dosing
• HIV infection
• Previous nonadherence to therapy
• Children and adolescents
• Mental, emotional or physical disability (ie, cognitive deficits such as dementia,
neurological deficits, medically fragile patients, or patients with blindness or severe
loss of vision)
• Resident at correctional or long-term care facility
• Previous treatment for active or latent tuberculosis
