Question

'DOTS' indicates

• A. Long-term treatment under direct observation
• B. Short-term treatment under direct observation
• C. Short-term treatment without observation
• D. Domiciliary treatment without observation

Hint:

DOTS expands to Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Expand the short form.
DOTS breaks down to Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course. Each word carries a rule of the strategy.

Step 2: Unpack "short-course".
The regimen is fixed at about 6 to 8 months, much shorter than the old 12 to 18 month TB treatments, thanks to combination drugs like rifampicin.

Step 3: Unpack "directly observed".
A trained worker watches the patient swallow every single dose in front of them. This stops patients from stopping early or missing doses, which is the main reason drug resistant TB develops.

Step 4: Eliminate the other choices.
A long course clashes with the word "short". Treatment without observation clashes with the word "directly observed". Home based dosing without a watcher also fails the observation part.

Step 5: Conclude.
\[ \boxed{\text{Short-term treatment under direct observation}} \]