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Tuberculosis — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

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EasyTuberculosisTuberculosisSCE Infectious Diseases

A 30-year-old man from Somalia is diagnosed with pulmonary TB. He is also found to have Vitamin D deficiency (25-OH vitamin D 18 nmol/L). What is the recommended approach to vitamin D supplementation?

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Correct answer: B — Correct vitamin D deficiency with standard replacement; there is insufficient evidence that supplementation improves TB outcomes

Vitamin D deficiency is common in TB patients and should be corrected with standard replacement (e.g. Colecalciferol loading and maintenance per NICE NG34). However, while observational studies suggest an association between vitamin D deficiency and TB risk, RCTs have not consistently shown that supplementation improves TB treatment outcomes (time to culture conversion, cure rates). It should be replaced for general health but is not a proven adjunctive TB therapy.

Reference: NICE NG33 2016 – TB; NICE NG34 2017 – Vitamin D; Cochrane 2024 – Vitamin D for TB