Although we may not see tuberculosis cases too often, that doesn’t mean this disease isn’t out there. In fact, up to 13 million people are carrying the latent infection, which can asymptomatically exist in a patient for years and can be fatal if it isn’t caught early enough. That’s why knowing which of our patients are at risk and using effective screening measures are now more critical than ever. In the hopes of eradicating this disease once and for all, Tackling TB brings together experts in the areas of public health and infectious disease to discuss current guideline recommendations, testing methodologies, and the importance of primary care physicians in conducting risk-based screening protocols. In collaboration with:
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Guest: Carlos Jesus Acuña-Villaorduña, MD
What are some of the immunologic mechanisms that alter our ability to fight off a mycobacterium tuberculosis infection—and how does this affect our immunocompromised patients? To answer this question, Dr. Charles Turck meets with Dr. Carlos Acuña-Villaorduña from the Boston University School of Medicine to discuss new insights on TB infection and immunosuppression.
Guest: Pranay Sinha, MD
Where are we on the path to eliminating tuberculosis? To understand this, Dr. Pranay Sinha, a postdoctoral researcher at Boston Medical Center, discusses what we need to know and shares what’s on the horizon for TB elimination.
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Guest: Jeffrey D. Cirillo, PhD
How prevalent is tuberculosis in long-term care facilities? To better understand this, Dr. Charles Turck meets with Dr. Jeffrey Cirillo to examine screening and testing strategies to better monitor TB risk, specifically for high-risk patient populations.
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Guest: Laila Woc-Colburn, MD, DTM&H, FACP, FIDSA
What are some ways we can better care for our patients prior to starting biologic therapy? Dr. Charles Turck joins Dr. Laila Woc-Colburn from the Emory University School of Medicine to discuss ways to improve safety for patients with tuberculosis.
Guest: Jeffrey R. Starke, MD
Host: Paul P. Doghramji, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Paul Doghramji joins Dr. Jeffrey Starke, an Infection Control Officer at Texas Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Pediatric Infectious Disease Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, to discuss the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on testing for tuberculosis.
Host: Paul Doghramji, MD
Guest: Sarojini Qasba, MD
With the World Health Organization’s goal to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030 quickly approaching, what can we be doing now to help us meet that goal? Joining Dr. Paul Doghramji to discuss three key factors and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this global goal is Dr. Sonia Qasba, an infectious disease specialist at the Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.