TB

· Definition
TB (mycobacterium tuberculosis) also called Tuberculosis is an oxygen-requiring atypical bacteria.

· Overview
· TB is one of the oldest known human diseases.
· TB infects 5 million new people every year and up to 40% of the world’s population is infected with TB.
Every year about 3 million people die from TB.

· Symptoms
The most common symptom of TB is a chronic cough.  The cough is usually dry (nonproductive) but can become productive of phlegm and blood as the TB worsens.
Other symptoms of TB include:
fatigue
unexplained weight loss
fever
night Sweats

· Diagnosis
· Tuberculosis can be diagnosed with a tuberculin skin test, but a positive reaction does not distinguish between previous infection and active disease

· Tuberculosis can also be diagnosed on a Chest X-ray which may have characteristic findings of a TB infection.
Active infection of the lungs can be diagnosed by isolating TB in a test of a sputum.

· Complications
· TB predominantly infects the lungs after inhalation of an infected droplet.
· TB can spread to the lining around the lungs, and to bones, joints, brain, heart and abdomen.
Tuberculosis can be fatal.

· Treatment
· TB can be resistant to treatment and is treated with 3 to 4 medications for 6 months.
The four major medications used are:
isoniazid
rifampin
pyrazinamide
ethambutol

References
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 1999

Posted on September 4, 2009

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