Tuberculosis Clinic

Calgary Tuberculosis Clinic:

Overview: Assess and treat all active and latent tuberculosis cases in the Calgary Zone within the Public and Population Health Portfolio in Alberta. Clinic is located across the street from the Peter Lougheed Hospital in the Sunridge Medical Gallery. 

Clinical:. Multi-disciplinary team of physicians, public health nurses, pharmacist, social workers designated to assess individuals suspected of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, treat those diagnosed with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, treat those diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and assess individuals referred by immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC).  All medical therapy is provided free-of-charge through Primary Care. Sputa induction for AFB smear and culture testing is also available.  Referral is made through Connect Care or through fax  of the provincial TB referral form.  Chest radiography performed within the last three months is required for LTBI referrals. Sputum induction referrals require information on inhaler utilization, oxygen utilization, and language requirements. 

Research.

The Calgary Tuberculosis Clinic is a member of the CAB-V (Canada, Australia, Benin, Vietnam) TB research consortium and participates in CIHR and NIH (in association with the TB Trials Consortium of CDC) funded research.  The clinic has recently completed the 2R2 trial investigating 2 months of high dose rifampin compared to standard 4 months of rifampin treatment. The clinic is currently recruiting participants to investigate 6 weeks of rifapentine compared to standard of care 4 months of rifampin. Additional research interests of the group include guideline-based treatment of TB, de-isolation of pulmonary TB cases, quality improvement of LTBI testing and treatment, video directly observed therapy, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and qualitative research in TB education. 

The clinic assesses and treats all active and latent tuberculosis cases in the Calgary Zone within the Alberta Public and Population Health Portfolio. 

Th TB clinic is a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, public health nurses, a pharmacist, and social workers who assess individuals suspected of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Treatment is prescribed for individuals diagnosed with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and individuals diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Patients referred by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are seen and assessed for possible TB infection.  All medical therapy is provided free-of-charge through population and public health. 

Sputa induction for AFB smear and culture testing is also available.  Referral is made through Connect Care or by faxing the provincial TB referral form.  Chest radiography performed within the last three months is required for LTBI referrals. Sputum induction referrals require information on inhaler utilization, oxygen utilization, and language requirements.

References

Canadian Tuberculosis Standards Edition 8. Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine: Vol 6, No sup1 (tandfonline.com)

Edwards BD, Edwards J, Cooper R, Kunimoto D, Somayaji R, Fisher D. Rifampin-resistant/multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Alberta, Canada: Epidemiology and treatment outcomes in a low-incidence setting. PLoS ONE. 2021;16(2):e0246993. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246993. 

Oxalde O, Benedetti A, Adjobimey M, Alsdurf H, Anagonou S, Cook VJ, Fisher D, Fox GJ, Fregonese F, Hadisoemarto P, Hill PC, Johnston J, Khan FA, Long R, Nguyen NV, Nguyen TA, Obeng J, Fuslami R, Schwartzman K, Trajman A, Valiquette C, Menzies D. The Public Health Impact of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Management: TheACT4 Cluster Randomized Trial. Lancet Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/ S2468-2667(20)30261

Bedingfield N, Lashewicz B, Fisher D, King-Shier K. Improving infectious TB education for foreign-born patients and family members. Health Education Journal. December 2021. 

DOI 10.1177/00178969211061522

Mah JK, Lieu A, Fisher D, Lim RK. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of TB in a low-incidence setting. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2023 Jan 1;27(1):69-71. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.22.0378. 

Thornton C, Mellett M, Barss L, Jarand J, Field S, Fisher DA. The Respiratory Microbiome and Nontuberculous Mycobacterium: An Emerging Concern in Human Health. European Respiratory Review May 2021;30(160).200299. doi:10.1183116000617.0299-2020

Lau, A., Lin C, Barrie J, Winter, C, Armstrong G, Egedahl M, Doroshenko A, Heffernan C, Asadi L, Fisher D, Paulsen C, Moolji J, Long R. The Radiographic and Mycobacteriologic Correlates of Subclinical Pulmonary TB in Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study. CHEST 2022 162(2):309-320. DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2022.01.047

Edwards B, Field SK. The struggle to end a millennia-long pandemic: new and repurposed drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. Drugs 2022:82(18):1695-1715. Doi:10.10007/s-40265-022-01817-w. Epub 2022 Dec 7. PMID:36479687

Field SK, Escalante P, Fisher DA, Ireland B, Irwin RS on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel. Cough due to tuberculosis and other chronic infections: Chest guideline and expert panel report. Chest 2018;153(2):467-497 (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.Chest.2017.11.018