Boarding issue in a commercial flight for patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis: A case report

Figure 1 Chest posteroanterior and chest computed tomography. A: Chest posteroanterior; B: Chest computed tomography. Chest posteroanterior and chest computed tomography obtained at admission, showing multifocal cavitary consolidation with centrilobular nodules in both lungs.

Figure 2 The patient's fever pattern, sputum acid-fast bacilli results, and anti- tuberculosis medication and the clinical and social decisions made by several authorities during hospitalization. The patient had a high-spiking fever for three weeks, which normalized after the 25^th d. Sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear tests were grade three plus (3+) positive on admission, two plus (2+) on the 3^rd d of hospitalization, one plus (1+) on the 10^th and 11^th d of hospitalization, and negative on the 12^th, 14^th, and 17^th d of hospitalization. Sputum AFB culture tests were later positive for all the subsequent AFB tests. He received a first-line anti-tuberculosis regimen, consisting of Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide and pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Levofloxacin was administered from the 7^th to 23^rd d of hospitalization, after a diagnosis of comorbid pneumonia. He was allowed to board a commercial airline aircraft on the 21^st d since hospitalization. On the 28^th d, he met prerequisite conditions for traveling and boarded a plane back to his native country, India. AFB: Acid-fast bacilli; LFX: Levofloxacin; HREZ: Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide; P: Permission; D: Departure.