Hospital admission is recommended for severe cases.
Treatment consists of three drugs that are effective against the organism.
Sputum should be negative after 3 months of therapy. If not, treatment is reevaluated. If a patient is unable to tolerate isoniazid, or if isoniazid-resistant TB is present, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazidamide are usually used for 18 months. If rifampin-resistant TB is present, the regimen usually consists of isonizaid, ethambutol, and pyrazidamide for 18 months. If there is resistance to both isoniazid and rifampin, the disease is very difficult to treat.