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Tuberculosis
Medical Questions » Tuberculosis
| Name: Tuberculosis |
| Also known as: Phthisis; TB |
| A bacterial infection that affects one third of the people on the planet. Usually occurs in the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis), but may attack bone, skin, joints, lymph nodes, kidney, gut, heart and membranes around the brain (meningeal tuberculosis). Uncommon in developed countries, but widespread in poorer parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Cattle and other animals may carry TB, making its total eradication difficult. |
Causes of Tuberculosis
The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis passes from one person to another in moist droplets with every breath. When inhaled the bacteria may infect the lung and the surrounding lymph nodes, or may lie dormant for years, and then start multiplying to cause an initial or subsequent attack of the disease at a time when the patient' s resistance is down. |
Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Productive cough, night sweats, loss of appetite, fever, weight loss and generalized tiredness. |
Tests for Tuberculosis
Chest X-rays show a characteristic pattern, and the infection may be confirmed by collecting sputum samples and identifying the bacteria through a microscope. Skin tests can determine whether the person has ever been exposed to tuberculosis. |
Treatment for Tuberculosis
Combination of different antibiotic and antituberculotic medications for a year or more. Patients must be hospitalized and isolated until they are no longer infectious. All the other members of the patient' s family must be investigated for early signs of the disease, and may be given treatment as a routine preventative measure. The BCG vaccine gives lifelong protection, and is given routinely at birth to babies in many poorer countries.
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Complications of Tuberculosis of its treatment
May gradually spread to almost every other organ in untreated patients. Symptoms depend upon which areas are affected. |
Likely Outcome of Tuberculosis
With effective treatment regimes, a complete cure can be expected, and most recurrences are due to patients failing to complete the full course of treatment. Without treatment, death occurs in a significant proportion of victims. |
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