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TUBERCULOSIS.
The word “tuberculosis” comes from a Latin word for "nodule" or something that sticks out.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that can cause infection in your lungs or
other tissues. It commonly affects your lungs, but it can also affect other organs like your spine, brain or kidneys.
Not everyone who becomes infected with TB gets sick.
What causes tuberculosis?
TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The germs are spread through the air and usually infect the lungs, but can also infect other parts of the body. Although TB is infectious, it doesn’t spread easily. You usually have to spend a lot of time in contact with someone who is contagious in order to catch it.
How is tuberculosis spread?
TB can be spread when a person with active TB disease releases germs into the air through coughing, sneezing, talking, singing or even laughing. Only people with active pulmonary infection are contagious. Most people who breathe in TB bacteria are able to fight the bacteria and stop it from growing. The bacterium becomes inactive in these individuals, causing a latent TB infection
What are the signs and symptoms of tuberculosis?
Symptoms of TB disease depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are
growing. TB bacteria usually grow in the lungs (pulmonary TB). TB disease in the lungs may cause symptoms such as
a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
pain in the chest coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs)
Other symptoms of TB disease are
weakness or fatigue weight loss no appetite chills fever sweating at night
Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area
affected.
People who have latent TB infection
do not feel sick,
do not have any symptoms cannot spread TB to others.
The following are the stages of TB.
1. Exposure (Primary infection) This happens when a person has been
in contact with, or exposed to, another person who has TB. The exposed person will have a negative skin test, a normal chest X-ray, and no signs or symptoms of the disease. 2. Latent TB infection. This happens when a person has TB bacteria in his or her body, but does not have symptoms of the disease. The infected person's immune system walls off the TB organisms, and the TB remains inactive throughout life in most people who are infected. This person would have a positive skin test, but a normal chest X-ray. 3. TB disease. This describes the person who has signs and symptoms of an active infection. The person would have a positive skin test and a positive chest X-ray.
Other types or classification
Pulmonary Tuberculosis: The most common symptom in tuberculosis
of the lung is fever Pleural Tuberculosis - affects the lining of the lung i.e. the pleura, there can be an accumulation of fluid in between the two layers of the structure Skeletal Tuberculosis Brain Tuberculosis Bladder and Kidney Tuberculosis Joint Tuberculosis Gastrointestinal Tract Tuberculosis Miliary Tuberculosis- the lung is extensively involved throughout. There are multiple patches seen throughout the lungs on a chest x- ray.
The Difference between Latent TB Infection (LTBI) and TB Disease
A Person with Latent TB Infection - A Person with TB Disease Has no symptoms Has symptoms that may include o a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer o pain in the chest o coughing up blood or sputum o weakness or fatigue o weight loss o no appetite o chills o fever o sweating at night
Does not feel sick Usually feels sick
Cannot spread TB bacteria to May spread TB bacteria to others
others
Usually has a skin test or blood Usually has a skin test or blood test test result indicating TB infection result indicating TB infection
Has a normal chest x-ray and a May have an abnormal chest x-ray, or negative sputum smear positive sputum smear or culture
Needs treatment for latent TB Needs treatment to treat TB disease
infection to prevent TB disease
What kinds of tests are used to diagnose tuberculosis?
There are two kinds of screening tests for TB:
- the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) and
- the blood test, called the interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). For the TST, a healthcare provider will inject a small amount of a substance called purified protein derivative (PPD) under the skin of your forearm. After two to three days, you must go back to the healthcare provider, who will look at the injection site.
For the IGRA, a healthcare provider will draw blood and send the sample to the lab.
Further tests to determine if an infection is active or if your lungs are
infected include:
Lab tests on sputum and lung fluid.
Chest X-ray. Computed tomography (CT) scans.
How do I know if I should get tested for tuberculosis?
You may want to get tested for TB if:
You are a resident or employee in group settings where the risk is
high, such as jails, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, shelters and other healthcare facilities. You work in a mycobacteriology laboratory. You’ve been in contact with someone who’s known or suspected to have TB disease. Your body's resistance to illness is low because of a weak immune system. You think you might already have TB disease and have symptoms. You’re from a region or have lived in a region where TB disease is prevalent, such as Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia. You’ve injected recreational drugs. Your healthcare provider recommends testing.
Others who are at risk for TB include:
People with immature or impaired immune systems, such as babies
and children. People with kidney disease, diabetes, or other chronic (long-term) illness. People who have received organ transplants. People being treated with chemotherapy for cancer or other types of treatments for immune system disorders. Treatment of TB
A medical or clinical treatment regimen consists of a sequence of decisions to determine the
course of treatment type, drug dosage, or retreatment timing at a given point in time according to an individual patient's current health status and prior treatment history to promote long-term patient benefit.
TB treatment can take 4, 6, or 9 months depending on the regimen. A medical or
clinical treatment regimen consists of a sequence of decisions to determine the course of treatment type, drug dosage, or retreatment timing at a given point in time according to an individual patient's current health status and prior treatment history to promote long-term patient benefit.
Short course regimens include
- Three months of once-weekly isoniazid plus rifapentine (3HP)
- Four months of daily rifampin (4R) - Three months of daily isoniazid plus rifampin (3HR)
What can you do to prevent spreading tuberculosis?
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease.
BCG helps to prevent contacting the bacteria –though it’s not always protect people from getting TB.
You usually have to be in contact with someone with active TB for a long time before becoming infected. It helps to follow infection prevention guidelines like:
Washing your hands thoroughly and often.
Coughing into your elbow or covering your mouth when you cough. Avoiding close contact with other people. Making sure you take all of your medication correctly. Not returning to work or school until you’ve been cleared by your healthcare provider.
Prognosis
If you have tuberculosis and you’re treated, the prognosis is good if you’ve followed directions and taken your medications for as long as you should and in the way you were told.
Defaulting the TB medication increases, the risk of drug resistance, relapse
