[Consensus-Based Guidelines for Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents - A Guideline on Behalf of the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI)]. / S2k-Leitlinie zur Diagnostik, Prävention und Therapie der Tuberkulose im Kindes- und Jugendalter.

Recently, epidemiological data shows an increase of childhood tuberculosis in Germany. In addition to this, drug resistant tuberculosis becomes more frequent. Therefore, diagnosis, prevention and therapy in childhood and adolescence remain a challenge. Adult guidelines do not work for children, as there are age specific differences in manifestation, risk of progression and diagnostic as well as therapeutic pathways.The German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) has initiated a consensus-based (S2k) process and completed a paediatric guideline in order to improve and standardize care for children and adolescents with tuberculosis exposure, infection or disease.Updated dosage recommendations take age dependant pharmacokinetics in the treatment of drug sensitive but also drug resistant tuberculosis in account. In addition to this, there is a detailed chapter on perinatal exposure and disease as well as extrapulmonary manifestations.

[The current status of tuberculosis in Germany and impact of the global situation]. / Die aktuelle Tuberkulosesituation in Deutschland und die Auswirkungen der globalen Situation.

Tuberculosis (TB), like HIV/AIDS and malaria, belongs to the most frequent infectious diseases worldwide. About one-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), and 5-10 % of those infected develop tuberculosis in the course of their lives. It is estimated that there were approx. 8.9 million new infections worldwide in 2004, representing an incidence of approx. 140/100,000. 3.9 million cases (62/100,000) were classified as smear positive. It is assumed that one smear-positive patient infects about 10-15 other people in the course of one year, and the infection risk is particularly high in HIV-positive persons. For Germany as a low-incidence country, the impact of growing global migration is a key point for future effective prevention of infection. Although the incidence of tuberculosis in Germany is decreasing according to the Robert Koch Institute, public health authorities should nevertheless consider the possible re-import of this infectious disease as a serious problem, in particular in view of the rising resistance rates.