A 3-year-old child lives in a household where the father has sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. The child is asymptomatic, gaining weight normally, and chest findings are unremarkable. As per NTEP recommendations, what should be offered after ruling out active disease?

• A No intervention, only annual chest radiography
• B Rifampicin 15 mg/kg daily for 4 months
• C Isoniazid 10 mg/kg daily for 6 months ✓
• D Full four-drug treatment for 2 months

Explanation

Children under 6 years who are household contacts of a smear-positive case and found free of active disease receive isoniazid preventive therapy at 10 mg/kg daily for 6 months, since young children are at high risk of progression to severe disease after recent infection. Rifampicin monotherapy for 4 months is an alternative regimen in some settings but is not the standard NTEP recommendation for this age group.

Reference: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 21st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.