recommendations for preventive therapy: UK

Last reviewed 01/2018

Seek specialist advice.

  • because of the risk of generalised BCG infection, BCG vaccination should not be given to individuals known to be HIV infected in the UK
  • when HIV infection is suspected in infants or in tuberculin negative contacts of tuberculosis, HIV testing should be undertaken and BCG vaccination only given to those confirmed to be HIV negative
  • chemoprophylaxis is recommended to HIV infected close contacts of a patient with smear positive pulmonary disease - the recommended regime is

    3months of isoniazid (with pyridoxine) and rifampicin or

    6months of isoniazid (with pyridoxine)

Reference:

  1. Joint Tuberculosis Committeee of the British Thoracic Society. Control and prevention of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom: Code of Practice 2000. Thorax 2000; 55:887-901.

  2. NICE (January 2016). Tuberculosis.