FROM SANATORIA TO SHORT COURSE REGIMENS: EVOLUTION OF TUBERCULOSIS(TB) TREATMENT ACROSS CENTURIES

This review article examines the extensive historical progression of tuberculosis (TB) treatment, starting with the period of sanatoria and environmental therapy, characterised by rest, nutrition, and isolation as fundamental components of care, and advancing through the pivotal discoveries related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, initial surgical collapse therapies, and the significant introduction of anti-tubercular antibiotics in the mid-20th century. This review elucidates the transition from extended institutional care to evidence-based multidrug chemotherapy and ultimately to contemporary short-course, rifampicin-centered regimens, demonstrating how scientific advancements, public health strategies, and global tuberculosis control initiatives have collectively influenced current management practices. The objective of this historical narrative is to elevate public understanding of tuberculosis's medical evolution, demonstrate how past lessons persistently influence contemporary strategies, and emphasise the necessity of ongoing innovation.