Description A chronic bacterial...
Description
A chronic bacterial infection caused by the bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that mainly affects your lungs. TB is a contagious infectious disease which is spread from person to person through the air. The bacteria are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and infects those who inhale the droplets. Most people do not have any symptoms when first infected. The bacteria can lay dormant (called latent TB) in the body and may become reactivated many years later. This reactivation usually occurs when the immune system becomes depressed. Chronic illness, malnutrition, alcoholism, the use of immunosuppressive drugs, AIDS and cancer can all suppress the immune system leading to the spread of the disease. The initial lung infection can then spread to all parts of the body, including kidneys, spine or brain.
Symptoms
Depends on the organ system involved. Pulmonary (lung) tuberculosis (TB): fever, cough, night sweats, weight loss, cough with bloody sputum, chest pain; tuberculosis (TB) meningitis: headache, vomiting, stiff neck; Disseminated tuberculosis (TB): multiple symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, painful urination, bone pain.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed. A Mantoux skin test (PPD) will identify previous exposure to tuberculosis (TB). A positive PPD does not necessarily mean one has tuberculosis (TB). Other tests need to be done to confirm an active TB infection. Sputum culture and culture of other fluids are done as deemed appropriate for the clinical presentation. Imaging studies are performed to define the extent of disease.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Urinalysis (UA), X-ray
Other Specific Tests: Mantoux skin test, quantiferon gold blood test, blood cultures, urine cultures, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) cultures, sputum cultures
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Family Practice, Infectious Disease Medicine, Pediatric Pulmonology, Pediatric Infectious Disease Medicine, HIV and AIDS Specialist
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed. A Mantoux skin test (PPD) will identify previous exposure to tuberculosis (TB). A positive PPD does not necessarily mean one has tuberculosis (TB). Other tests need to be done to confirm an active TB infection. Sputum culture and culture of other fluids are done as deemed appropriate for the clinical presentation. Imaging studies are performed to define the extent of disease.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Urinalysis (UA), X-ray
Other Specific Tests: Mantoux skin test, quantiferon gold blood test, blood cultures, urine cultures, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) cultures, sputum cultures
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Family Practice, Infectious Disease Medicine, Pediatric Pulmonology, Pediatric Infectious Disease Medicine, HIV and AIDS Specialist
Treatment
Treatment of active TB requires many months of therapy. TB has become resistant to many antibiotics. Therapy often begins with a 4 drug combination. Once the sensitivities of the strain are identified, the final drug combination is prescribed. Patients must not miss any medication doses and must finish the entire course of treatment.