Tuberculosis

Question: Tuberculosis screening for volunteer work at a hospital? I'm going to volunteer at a hospital and tomorrow I'm going because they need a blood test for tuberculosis screening. What's the point of that? Don't you kind of know when you have tuberculosis...? And do they just test for tuberculosis or do they use the blood for other diseases/drug test?

Answer: You can be a carrier of TB and never have had symptoms. All hospital personnel have to get TB tests to be sure you're not going to pass it on to patients. It's really no big deal. The nurse will inject a small amount of liquid just barely under your skin so that it creates a little bubble, then you go back in 48 hours to have them look at it. If it turns red and has bumps then you likely have been exposed, which is not what you want. If there isn't any reaction, then you're good to go. They don't actually take blood from you so no, they can't test for drugs or other diseases. Hope that helps!

Question: What are some diseases similar to tuberculosis and could be mistaken as Tuberculosis? So I am researching tuberculosis, and I have to answer the question: If it isn't your exact disease, what else could it be? So essentially I have to find diseases with the same signs and symptoms, ones that may act in the same way or cause your body to look the same way as tuberculosis. I then have to talk about how they are similar and why. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Answer: So other mycobacterium would look the same on stains: Mycobacterium bovis Mycobacterium kansasii and other mycobacteria Other bacteria can cause similar lung disease (but look different on stain and culture): Nocardia Rhodococcus equii and other bacteria

Question: How much does tuberculosis treatment cost in the Philippines? I am helping a family out in the Philippines. Their 20 year old son has tuberculosis. A small spot in the lung. They have told me it costs about USD 1,200 per month to treat it. For about 9 months. How much does TBC treatment really cost? He contracted the disease working in a laboratory.

Answer: in a community health center, its for free!!!! seriously. there's this project called Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) by the WHO and DOH where they treat TB patients for free. just go the nearest community health center and inquire. they will tell you the steps to do. even the homeless could avail this treatment. http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/1458 http://www.doh.gov.ph/faq/show/477 http://www.doh.gov.ph/programs/tb but the down side is that he should go to the facility everyday to take his pills. usually, in a private hospital, you get to take your pills at home but you'll end up paying more. i'm not sure if they could make some arrangement that could make him go to the facility in less frequency.

Question: Is a fully treated tuberculosis a problem for USA migration? If a person planning to migrate to USA, who has completed treatment for the tuberculosis. Is it a problem?

Answer: It may be if you have had any exposure to TB. Check to see if there is a waver of some type.

Question: How do you get tested for tuberculosis and hepititous? I'm going to the docotor's and I need to be checked for tuberculosis and hepititous b or something like that? (sorry about the spelling) Is it a shot or do they need to draw blood? p.s. Whats s sputum test?

Answer: For tuberculosis, you will get a PPD (purified protein derivative) shot. The solution is injected just under your skin, so it'll look like a small raise on your skin. You will have to have the result within 72 hours. Positive reaction means that you've been exposed to TB, and you need further testing (i.e., x-ray and sputum test). For Hepatitis B, you need to provide a blood sample. Answer to follow on question: Sputum test will show if you have the TB bacteria called "tubercle bacilli" growing in your lungs. Treatment for TB is fairly easy -- all you need is compliance to the medication regimen.

Question: What are the causes of disease abdominal tuberculosis? What are the causes of disease abdominal tuberculosis? By which means this disease enters human body?

Answer: This is a question that requires alot of technical information. Therefore, I apologize for just providing you with a website: www.jrsm.org/cgi/content/full/96/12/586

Question: What can you tell me about the medical points of tuberculosis? Please tell me what you know about tuberculosis doctors and TB victims alike it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Does it matter that I'm NOT either one, but I can give you sound and solid information? "Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease caused by bacteria that primarily infect the lungs. TB spreads when infected people cough or sneeze the bacteria into the air and others inhale the bacteria. Symptoms of active infection include a persistent cough, weight loss, fatigue, and fever. Active TB can develop immediately, many years later, or may never develop. People who are at increased risk for TB include those who are HIV-positive, homeless people, immigrants from other countries with high risk of TB, health care workers who may be exposed to people with TB, older adults, and those who inject illegal drugs. Drug treatment can cure TB, but it may take up to 6 to 12 months. To prevent TB, avoid close contact with someone who has an active TB infection. You cannot get TB by handling things an infected person has touched. If you think you've had close contact with someone with active TB, contact your doctor or local health department about a tuberculosis skin test. A tuberculosis test is a skin test for tuberculosis, not an immunization. A positive result does not necessarily mean that you have active tuberculosis (TB), but it does mean that you may have been exposed to the disease. Whether you should be tested depends on how common tuberculosis is in your area and your risk of exposure to people who have TB. If you have had a positive TB test, the test should not be repeated. Additional tests will always be positive and may cause a more severe skin reaction."

Question: How long did people survive with tuberculosis? In the old days when there wasn't any cure for consumption (or tuberculosis), how long could people last after diagnosis? Was it a question of years or months? I'm not interested in modern day rates as it's easier to treat nowadays, but I need a time frame for a history project. It doesn't say anything relevant on wikipedia as I've looked there already.

Answer: TB is such an interesting disease! The belief that TB is/was necessarily a deadly disease is a misconception. Many people who are exposed never develop any symptoms at all. Of the people who do develop symptoms, some just loose a little weight and feel crappy for months. Others have the typical lung "consumption" and others manifest symptoms in places other than their lungs! So, let's talk about TB historically. Historically, there were no ways to test a healthy person for TB, so the only way to diagnose the disease was to test sputum, the bloody mucus that people suffering from traditional TB cough up. By the time a person is coughing up sputum, they are in the advanced stages of the disease. So, they might only have a matter of weeks or months to live by the time the disease is caught and recognized. Historically, people lived with the bacteria without ever having symptoms or knowing they'd been exposed. They died of unrelated causes. Historically, some people had mild forms of TB and recovered. Historically, the best way to treat/prevent TB is good nutrition and environment. Hope that helps.

Question: Will a treated tuberculosis patient becomes infected again if exposed to smokers? I have a friend who undergone treatment for tuberculosis for 2 years already and finished the treatment religiously. In the environment she lives in, she's still exposed to people who smoke. Is there a chance tha the bacteria will grow back and suffer that disease? Pls help me give info so that i can share it to her. Thank you so much.

Answer: Very unlikely. Try to reassure her.

Question: How can a different species of mycobacteria cause tuberculosis? How can a different species of mycobateria cause tuberculosis and how would you know this is the case.

Answer: They don't. Only M. tuberculosis causes tuberculosis. The other mycobacteriae can cause a false positive TB test though.

Question: Tuberculosis? Can anybody help me to understand why Tuberculosis usually affects the top of the lungs more than elsewhere in the lungs? Thanks...

Answer: Sorry, i cant find anything to clarify why it only affects the top of the lungs....Never heard that b4 anyway:)

Question: What is the percentage of Male and Female Tuberculosis victims a year? I need to know what either the amount or percentage of Tuberculosis victims for any four consecutive years is. I need a percent for Young Males, Young Females, Adult Males, and Adult Females. For example, 10 Young Males infected, 5 Young Females infected, etc., etc.. Sorry if this question is hard to follow.

Answer: Below is the site for the center of disease control. They track all diseases and can tell you the incidence of TB or the flu or anything. It is a very useful site. In USA In 2008, There were a total of 12,898 incidents of tuberculosis It explains the percentage by country and race. I do not see the rates by sex. This could be because tuberculosis can attack anyone, regardless of age or sex.

Question: How can medicine cause tuberculosis? A lot of the commercials for various medications warn that it can cause? tuberculosis. But if you look it up on the Internet, it says that tuberculosis is cause by mycobacteria.

Answer: These medications can cause people's immune systems to weaken while they are taking them. If a patient already has the mycobacteria that causes tuberculosis (due to prior tuberculosis exposure), it could take advantage the opportunity to create widespread infection while the immune system defenses are weakened. Tuberculosis is an "opportunistic" pathogen that lives within certain types of white blood cells. They can live with us our whole life. In fact, tuberculosis is one of the most successful pathogens out there. Approximately 2 billion people are infected, and it kills 2 million people a year. Crazy.

Question: what would be a good method for identifying the bacteria, which causes leprosy or tuberculosis? what would be a good method for identifying the bacteria, which causes leprosy or tuberculosis?

Answer: ACID FAST STAINING it is similar in concept to gram staining, but it seperates bacteria into two colors based on whether they're in the genus Mycobacterium (leprocy/Tuberculosis) versus all other genera. step 1: apply basic carbolfuchsin dye which is the primary dye, it will stain all cells red but binds stronger to cell wall rich in a certain wax step 2: wash slide with acid alcohol to decolorize bacteria lacking waxy material step 3: apply basic stain methylene blue to color all unstained cells blue, this is a counterstain when all is said and done, the acid fast cells (Mycobacterium) are red, all others are blue hope that helps!

Question: How does the blood fill the lungs when you have tuberculosis (also known as consumption)? In the show, The Tudors, Margarette had tuberculosis(consumption) where she continuosly coughed up blood until it killed her. I am wondering how the blood filled the lungs in the first place. Was there a hole made, or what? If you know where an article is about it, please add it!

Answer: The blood does not fill the lungs, otherwise the person would drown in their own blood from this hemorrhage. In TB, granuloma tissue forms in the lungs. Granuloma tissue is delicate and full of small blood vessels. When a person coughs, they may occasionally rupture the blood vessels, bleed a little, and cough up blood. There is not normally a lot of blood in the cough of a TB patient. Hemorrhage is not a common sign of TB. The movie may have shown more blood than occurs in reality, to make it seem more shocking. Patients with TB do not die of blood loss, but because they cannot breathe.

Question: Can pneumonia be mistaken for tuberculosis or lung cancer? My grandfather is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. He has a mass on his lung and they said they are going to be testing for tuberculosis that he may have gotton when he served in the Korean war nearly 60 years ago. They are also going to test for lung cancer. He's lost 15lbs in a week, he gets the chills and he has a cough..I'm not sure what else hes feeling. Anybody know any knowledgable information on these 3 diseases?

Answer: Believe that they are running all these test to be sure of the diagnosis. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish. My mother used to get diagnosed with pneumonia a lot, when in reality what they were seeing on the xray was scaring from COPD (Chronic Pulmonary Disease). Fifteen pounds is a tremendous amount of weight to lose in a week however, but that could be explained from being ill and not being able to eat much. I know it is hard to wait for test results, but try not to panic. They will find out the answer and treat your grandfather for whatever is the problem. I am sure he is already on intravenous antibiotics. Take care and try not to stress.