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    Case Study On TB

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    Jamil Lorca
    Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria that usually infects the lungs. It spreads through airborne droplets when someone with active lung TB coughs or sneezes. A person exposed may become infected with the TB bacteria but not have symptoms or disease. They can later develop active TB disease if their immune system becomes weakened. Active pulmonary TB can be treated with a combination of antibiotics over several months to cure the disease and prevent spread.

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    Case Study On TB

    Uploaded by

    Jamil Lorca
    19K views3 pages
    Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria that usually infects the lungs. It spreads through airborne droplets when someone with active lung TB coughs or sneezes. A person exposed may become infected with the TB bacteria but not have symptoms or disease. They can later develop active TB disease if their immune system becomes weakened. Active pulmonary TB can be treated with a combination of antibiotics over several months to cure the disease and prevent spread.

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    Case Study on TB

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    Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria that usually infects the lungs. It spreads through airborne droplets when someone with active lung TB coughs or sneezes. A person exposed may become infected with the TB bacteria but not have symptoms or disease. They can later develop active TB disease if their immune system becomes weakened. Active pulmonary TB can be treated with a combination of antibiotics over several months to cure the disease and prevent spread.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc
    19K views3 pages

    Case Study On TB

    Uploaded by

    Jamil Lorca
    Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria that usually infects the lungs. It spreads through airborne droplets when someone with active lung TB coughs or sneezes. A person exposed may become infected with the TB bacteria but not have symptoms or disease. They can later develop active TB disease if their immune system becomes weakened. Active pulmonary TB can be treated with a combination of antibiotics over several months to cure the disease and prevent spread.

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    Case Study

    1. What is tuberculosis?

    Tuberculosis or TB is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.


    The bacteria can enter the body, usually the lungs, and make a person sick by damaging the tissues
    that it reaches.

    2. How do you get TB?

    When a person with TB of the lungs coughs, shouts or sings, TB bacteria is expelled into the air. The
    bacteria is carried within tiny, invisible droplets of moisture that can float in the air for several
    hours. Any person who inhales these droplets can become infected with TB. It does not matter if
    that person is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, malnourished or obese. The person who breathes
    in the TB bacteria will have TB infection.

    TB is not caused by perspiration drying on one’s back, by over-exertion or fatigue.

    TB is not caused by smoking or pollution—although these clearly damage the lungs.

    TB is not caused by poor nutrition, - although this could make a person who inhales a TB bacterium
    more likely to develop TB disease.

    TB is not transmitted through food or drinks or using other utensils.

    TB is acquired through exposure to someone sick with active TB of the lungs.

    3. What is TB infection?

    If you have spent some time at home, in school, at work or elsewhere, with someone who has
    active TB of the lungs, you may have unknowingly inhaled the TB bacteria. If you have breathed in
    the TB germ, then you have been “infected” (you have TB infection). This is different from TB
    disease. IN TB infection the TB bacilli do not cause tissue damage. Unlike those with TB disease,
    persons with TB infection do not have any symptoms. If their immune systems are normal, only one
    out of ten persons with TB infection will later develop signs and symptoms of TB disease. The other
    nine out of ten will have no manifestations of TB disease and will remain healthy. If HIV infection,
    cancer, malnutrition, immunity-suppressing drugs or other conditions have weakened their immune
    systems, the TB-infected persons will soon develop active TB disease.

    4. How do you know if you have TB infection?

    If you have been in contact with someone diagnosed to have active pulmonary TB, you can be
    tested for TB infection. The recommended test for TB infection is the tuberculin skin test using the
    Mantoux method where the tuberculin (or PDD) is injected into the skin. This is read after 48 to 72
    hours. The skin tests using the multiple-prong or prick devises are not recommended.

    Your doctor must read the skin test and if this is found to be positive, he must look for evidence of
    typical tissue damage caused by TB by ordering a chest x-ray. If your tuberculin skin test is positive
    but you have no symptoms and your chest x-ray is normal, then you have TB infection. If you have
    findings on chest x-ray compatible with Tb and your skin test is positive, then you have TB disease
    particularly if you have symptoms that suggest active pulmonary TB (see TB disease).

    5. Is TB infection contagious?

    No. TB infection is not infectious to others. In TB infection, there has not been enough tissue
    damage (unlike in TB disease) to cause symptoms. A person with TB infection does not have
    bacteria in his or her lungs that can be coughed out into the air and infect others.

    6. Does TB infection have to be treated?


    Not all persons with TB infection are given treatment by their physicians. Only one out of ten
    persons with TB infection will eventually develop TB disease (become sick with the symptoms of
    TB). Unfortunately it is impossible to identify which person who becomes TB infected will be the one
    who later develops TB disease. But it is possible to treat the person with TB infection with an anti-TB
    medication to eliminate the changes of developing TB disease.

    The medication used to treat infection (isoniazid or INH) can cause liver toxicity particularly in older
    individuals. This must be weighed against the benefit of treating TB infection (elimination of the
    10% chance of developing TB disease).

    Some individuals with TB infection may choose not to be treated. These persons should be informed
    about the symptoms of TB disease and should be instructed to visit physician for evaluation should
    they ever develop these symptoms.

    7. What is TB disease?

    When the infecting TB bacteria are not neutralized by a person’s immune system, they can multiply
    and travel to other parts of the body. The fight between these TB germs and the body’s immune
    system can result in tissue destruction in the body part that the bacteria reach. This will produce the
    symptoms and signs of TB disease. Although any part of the body can be involved, the body site
    most commonly affected with TB disease is the lung (pulmonary TB). TB disease outside the lungs
    and throat is not contagious.

    When someone with active TB (disease) of the lungs or throat coughs or sings, the TB germs are
    propelled into the surrounding air ready to infect the next person who inhales them. The phlegm or
    sputum coughed out by these persons may show the TB bacteria if examined under the microscope
    (smear-positive cases). These are the most infectious cases of TB and must be treated and cured to
    stop the spread of TB in our communities.

    8. What are the symptoms of TB disease?

    • cough that does not go away for 3 weeks


    • coughing up blood
    • prolonged fever
    • night or afternoon sweats
    • constant tiredness
    • loss of weight and loss of appetite

    Any person who develops these symptoms must be evaluated by their physician for the possibility of
    TB disease.

    9. What are the tests for TB disease?

    1. Sputum examination for Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB smear).

    This is done by smearing a sample of coughed-up phlegm (sputum) on a glass slide , treating this
    with special dyes and then examining the specimen under a microscope. If TB bacilli are seen then
    the patient has active TB disease. It is best to have three separate sputum specimens examined to
    increase the likelihood of finding these bacilli. Unfortunately these Acid-Fast Bacilli are not always
    seen on sputum examination even in persons with active lung TB.

    2. Chest x-rays

    This may be helpful in cases when the Acid-Fast Bacilli are not seen on sputum examination.
    However, chest x-rays with findings suggestive of TB are not definitive proof that the disease is
    really TB. There are other diseases that may mimic the appearance of TB on chest x-rays. It also
    frequently difficult to judge if the lung disease is active or not by chest x-ray.

    3. TB culture of sputum or other specimen


    This is done by growing the TB bacteria in the laboratory but this is expensive and may require up
    to 8 weeks for final results.

    10. What is the treatment for TB disease?

    Persons with TB can be cured through regular and complete intake of the prescribed anti TB
    medications. Because patients frequently stop taking their medications before completing
    treatment, the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) strategy is recommended.

    The strategy requires that the health providers use sputum microscopy (AFB smears) for diagnosis.
    Your doctor should use standard treatment regimens. Make sure your health is closely observed by
    your physician.

    Isoniazid (INH), rifampicin and pyrazinamide

    • Given to new cases of TB for the first two months. INH and rifmapicin are continued for
    another four months.
    • In the Philippines, it is prudent to treat new cases with a fourth drug (ethambutol or
    streptomycin) during the first two months due to the high levels of INH resistance in the
    country.

    11. What is the best way to prevent the spread of tuberculosis?

    The best way to prevent the spread of tuberculosis is to treat and care all patients with active
    pulmonary tuberculosis. The vaccination for TB known as BCG may prevent children from developing
    the most severe forms of TB.

    12. What should you do if someone you have spent a lot of time with is diagnosed to have
    active pulmonary TB?

    See you doctor and ask him to determine if you have developed TB infection.

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