Return of a Killer: Tuberculosis in Russia

Scientific American's weekly podcast always has something good going on, but I thought this week's feature on tuberculosis in Russia was particulaly interesting. One aspect of the story that was quite new to me was directly observed therapy, which requires healthcare professionals (or neighbors) actually observe people taking their medications every day. It's a very labor-intensive model, but necessary when (1) people might still be sick even after the most obvious symptoms have gone away and (2) medications have serious side effects. They discussed the fact that relatives aren't ideal for helping with directly observed therapy, because patients can often exert enough interpersonal pressure that they relative won't really make sure they take their meds.

In any event, it's a good feature, and the little science quiz at the end is (as always) entertaining, too.