Texas Center for Infectious Disease

Heartland National TB Center - About Heartland National TB Center

Clinical Consultation

The National Heartland TB Center provides both medical and nursing consultation, as well as technical assistance in various aspects of TB control is available at no cost to physicians, nurses and other health care professionals in the thirteen states that comprise the Heartland Region.

Common Reasons for Consultation

• Diagnostic Evaluation of TB Suspects
• Treatment Recommendations: LTBI and TB Disease
• Resistance to One or More First-Line TB Drugs
• Failure to Convert AFB Smears/Cultures after 2-3 Months of Treatment
• Treatment Failure
• Relapse of TB Disease
• Adverse Drug Effects: GI upset, Rash, Hepatitis Disease, Pregnancy
• Nonadherence with Treatment
• Evaluation and Treatment of Contacts to an Infectious TB Case
• Nurse Care Management

How to Access Our Services

Consultation may be requested through your state's TB Control Program or by contacting the Heartland National TB Center directly at:

(210) 531-4569 or Toll Free: 1-800-TEX-LUNG (1-800-839-5864)

The consultation line is staffed Monday - Friday, from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Central Time.  After business hours, voice mail service is available.  Voice mail messages will be returned within one business day.

You may also contact the National Heartland TB Center via email:

Medical Director, MD
 

Assistant Medical Director
 

Nurse Consultant
 

Responses

Response to your inquiry is determined by the nature of the request and your stated preference. Recommendations may take the form of a written consult, an email reply or telephone consultation. A copy of the written consult or email will be shared with the staff of your state’s TB Control Program so that they are aware of the recommendations made and can better participate in the care of the patient. In addition, we maintain a database of all consultation requests for CDC reporting purposes, as well as serving as a needs assessment tool for future education activities. Semi-annual summary reports of consultation activity are also made available to the TB Control Program in each state.

Last Updated July 3, 2006