Medical Resources: Tuberculosis Facts

General Overview

Tuberculosis, also called TB, is a disease that kills approximately 1.6 million people annually and is second after HIV/AIDS as the most common cause of death in the world from an infectious disease. As of 2009, the number of reported cases decreased by 11.4 percent from the previous year and is the lowest reported rate since the beginning of surveillance. This disease usually affects the lungs but can also involve other parts of the body which include kidneys, joints, the brain, lymph nodes, larynx, bones, eyes or intestines. Those who acquire the infection are at the highest risk to develop the disease within the first year of contraction; this is particularly the case for those with low immune systems.

Symptoms

The symptoms that are experienced depend on the area of the body that the TB bacteria are growing in. For TB that is affecting the lungs, symptoms may include pain in the chest, severe coughing from more than three weeks or coughing up blood or sputum; sputum is phlegm that is located deep inside the lungs. Other symptoms of TB include sweating at night, fever, chills, no appetite, weakness or fatigue and weight loss. It is important to get tested if you have these symptoms and believe to have been exposed to the infection or disease.

Causes and Prevention

TB is caused by an organism by the name of mycobacterium tuberculosis which mainly attacks the lungs, but can attack any part of the body. Those who have the infection have either active TB or inactive TB; the active TB causes illness and is contagious while the inactive TB shows no symptoms and can not be transferred from one person to the next. People with inactive TB are referred to as carriers, but may become active if the immune system is weakened. To prevent inactive TB from becoming active, carriers should take an antitubercular medicine called Isoniazid (INH). When taken correctly for six months, the protective effect is 75 percent, while it is 90 percent if taken for nine months. The protection lasts for at least 20 years up to a lifetime.

Treatment

Treatment for inactive or at-risk patients for TB is INH given on a daily basis over the course of nine months. Candidates should be liver tested prior to taking the INH as it can cause hepatitis. Rifampin is an alternative regimen for INH and is taken over the course of four months. Candidates with TB disease must be treated for at least six months, maybe longer and are given an initial protocol of four drugs which include INH, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. The disease must be treated with a minimum of two drugs to prevent the development of drug resistance; this resistance can also develop when patients are not taking medication as prescribed. Patients are monitored and regimens are altered for children, pregnant women and those with drug-resistant TB.