Tuberculosis

At the moment, however, it is the primary cause of death from infectious disease on the planet. Factors such as resistance to first-line drugs or coinfection make it difficult to treat the disease and increase its mortality rate. 

Symptoms

The symptoms of tuberculosis depend on the organ that is infected. In the case of pulmonary tuberculosis, the most common symptoms are chesty cough, fever, weight loss and sweating at night. A diagnosis of tuberculosis should be considered when these symptoms last for more than 3-4 weeks.

Who is affected by the condition?

It can affect anyone who has been in contact with infected patients.  

Diagnosis

Tuberculosis is diagnosed according to the patient’s symptomatology, the findings of a physical examination and the results of complementary testing. Microbiological tests constitute an essential pillar for diagnosis. Some tests include micobacteria cultures, microscopic techniques and evidence of molecular biology.

Patients have a confirmed diagnosis when the microbiological tests are positive. If they are not positive, they are said to have a probable diagnosis. 

Typical Treatment

Conducted by means of several drugs to avoid resistance. The length of treatment is prolonged (minimum six months)  because many drugs acts on the dividing bacteria and this microorganism is slow growing. Where possible, all tablets are administered in one single sitting per day to make following the treatment plan easier. 

Typical test

Chest x-rays, general tests, cultures of biological samples.

Prevention

There are no specific prevention measures to avoid infection.