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TB Pericarditis — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

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HardTuberculosisTB PericarditisSCE Infectious Diseases

A patient with tuberculous pericarditis has a large effusion requiring drainage. Which statement about adjunctive corticosteroids is most accurate?

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Correct answer: D — Consider adjunctive corticosteroids after individual risk assessment

The best answer is “Consider adjunctive corticosteroids after individual risk assessment”. Guidelines allow selective adjunctive corticosteroids for tuberculous pericarditis, but benefit is conditional and must be balanced against host risks while haemodynamic compromise and active infection are treated directly. Drug-susceptible extrapulmonary tuberculosis generally uses a six-month regimen; adjunctive corticosteroids are established for selected CNS disease and are not automatically beneficial at every site.

Reference: WHO consolidated tuberculosis treatment guidelines: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240048126