Question

What is Tuberculosis?

Answer 1

tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (mycobacterium tuberculosis ) that most often affect the lungs.

• tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
• TB spread from one person to another person through air.

symptoms:

• cough
• tachycardia
• cyanosis
• respiratory failure

common infection site of tuberculosis are

• lungs ( primary)
• brain
• bone
• liver
• kidney.

Depending upon the site of infection TB can be categorized into

• pulmonary tuberculosis ( respiratory tract)
• genitourinary tuberculosis ( genitourinary tract)
• tuberculous meningitis ( nervous system)
• miliary tuberculosis ( a widespread infection)

treatment:

treatment of TB are divided into 2 major categories :

1. first line drugs: isoniazid, streptomycin, rifampicin, ethambutol, purazinamide.
2. second line drugs: ethionamide, p-amino salicylic acid, ofkaxacin , ciprofloxacin, cycloserine,amikacin, kannamycin, viomycin,capreomycin...

majority of the patients are treated with first line drugs it shows excellent results with a 6 months course of treatment.

for the first 2 months: isoniazid, rifampicin,pyrazinamide are given, followed by isoniazid and rifampicin for the remaining 4 months...

second line drugs are used mainly to treat multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.

stages of TB:

• exposure: this happens when a person has been contact with or exposed to another person who has TB . the exposure person have negative results in skin test and normal chest X ray ,no symptoms of TB.
• latend TB infection : this happens when  the person has TB bacteria in the body ,but no symptoms of the disease. the infected persons immune system is will off the TB organisms. and TB stays inactive for the through out life in most people who are infected. this person have positive in skin and blood test ..but a normal chest X ray. they don't have symptoms of active TB.
• TB infection: this person has sign and symptoms of active TB infection. this person could have Positive or negative in skin and blood test....but Positive in chest X ray and biopsy and finding shows active TB infection.

tests of TB :

1. skin test : is also called as montoux tuberculin skin test.in this test inject tiny amount of fluid is tuberculin just below the skin in forearm. it contains some inactive TB protein. after 2-3 days..if you have raised ,hardbumps, swelling on your arm the test is positive.....if there is no reaction in the injection site the test in negative.
2. blood test : is also called interferon gamma release assays ( IGRAs) ...it measures your response to TB antigens.
3. chest X ray
4. sputum smear or  culture test.