MedPage Today We can learn from the case now that she’s receiving treatment.
Over the last few months, a woman from Tacoma, Washington has been widely featured in local and national media including the New York Times, for refusing to take medication for active tuberculosis (TB).
In February 2023, a judge issued a civil warrant for her arrest. In early March, after the woman failed to attend yet another hearing, a new warrant was issued to involuntarily detain her for testing and treatment in jail. Surveillance then revealed the fugitive boarding a public bus and entering a local casino. She remained at large until recently, but the saga finally ended late last week when she was arrested and sent to jail where she will receive treatment.
In medicine, we’re all sensitive to confidentiality. Nonetheless, I can’t help wishing that someone had dug a little deeper while covering this story to help us understand her condition and why she was refusing treatment. There are a few obvious questions: Had the patient already infected others? Did she have drug-resistant TB? Had she previously suffered medication side effects? Last, but not least — given TB’s age-old stigma — did she even understand or believe her diagnosis?
The truth is, in 21st century America where this once-widespread plague is now often “out of sight, out of mind,” many doctors lack TB knowledge. On top of this, unique skills are sometimes needed to overcome the obstacles hindering prompt, effective treatment of the world’s leading infectious killer.