Tuberculosis history and symptoms: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Tuberculosis, or TB is a bacterial infection that kills 3 million people worldwide, more people than any other infection in the world. Approximately one-third of the world is infected, and 15 million people in the US. Active tuberculosis kills 60% of the time if not treated, but treatment cures 90% of patients. Most people are infected with TB have latent TB. This means that the bacteria is controlled by the body's immune system. People with latent TB do not have symptoms and cannot transmit TB to other people. However, later if the infected person has a weakened immune system (AIDS, young children, elderly, sick with other diseases, etc.), the bacteria can break out leading to active TB, or TB disease. | Tuberculosis, or TB is a bacterial infection that kills 3 million people worldwide, more people than any other infection in the world. Approximately one-third of the world is infected, and 15 million people in the US. Active tuberculosis kills 60% of the time if not treated, but treatment cures 90% of patients. Most people are infected with TB have latent TB. This means that the bacteria is controlled by the body's immune system. People with latent TB do not have symptoms and cannot transmit TB to other people. However, later if the infected person has a weakened immune system (AIDS, young children, elderly, sick with other diseases, etc.), the bacteria can break out leading to active TB, or TB disease. | ||
==History and symptoms== | |||
When the disease becomes active, 75% of the cases are pulmonary TB. Pulmonary TB disease should be suspected in persons who have the following symptoms<ref name="WHO2004data"/>: | |||
*[[Chest pain]] | |||
*[[Hemoptysis]] ([[Cough]]ing up [[blood]]) | |||
*Productive, prolonged [[cough]] for more than three weeks | |||
*Unexplained [[weight loss]] | |||
*[[Loss of appetite]] | |||
*[[Night sweats]] | |||
*[[Chills]] | |||
*[[Fever]] | |||
*[[Fatigue]] | |||
*[[Pallor]] | |||
In the other 25% of active cases, the infection moves from the [[lungs]], causing other kinds of TB more common in [[immunosuppressed]] persons and young children. Extrapulmonary infection sites include: | |||
*[[Pleura]] | |||
*[[Central nervous system]] in [[meningitis]] | |||
*[[Lymphatic system]] in [[scrofula]] of the [[neck]] | |||
*[[Genitourinary system]] in [[urogenital]] tuberculosis | |||
*[[Bones]] and [[joints]] in [[Pott's disease]] of the [[spine]] | |||
An especially serious form is disseminated TB, more commonly known as [[miliary tuberculosis]]. Although extrapulmonary TB is not contagious, it may co-exist with pulmonary TB, which ''is'' contagious.<ref name=CDCcourse>[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC), Division of Tuberculosis Elimination. [http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/pubs/corecurr/default.htm Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis: What the Clinician Should Know.] 4th edition (2000). Updated Aug 2003.</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 21:39, 21 February 2012
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Somal Khan
Overview
Tuberculosis, or TB is a bacterial infection that kills 3 million people worldwide, more people than any other infection in the world. Approximately one-third of the world is infected, and 15 million people in the US. Active tuberculosis kills 60% of the time if not treated, but treatment cures 90% of patients. Most people are infected with TB have latent TB. This means that the bacteria is controlled by the body's immune system. People with latent TB do not have symptoms and cannot transmit TB to other people. However, later if the infected person has a weakened immune system (AIDS, young children, elderly, sick with other diseases, etc.), the bacteria can break out leading to active TB, or TB disease.
History and symptoms
When the disease becomes active, 75% of the cases are pulmonary TB. Pulmonary TB disease should be suspected in persons who have the following symptoms[1]:
- Chest pain
- Hemoptysis (Coughing up blood)
- Productive, prolonged cough for more than three weeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Night sweats
- Chills
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Pallor
In the other 25% of active cases, the infection moves from the lungs, causing other kinds of TB more common in immunosuppressed persons and young children. Extrapulmonary infection sites include:
- Pleura
- Central nervous system in meningitis
- Lymphatic system in scrofula of the neck
- Genitourinary system in urogenital tuberculosis
- Bones and joints in Pott's disease of the spine
An especially serious form is disseminated TB, more commonly known as miliary tuberculosis. Although extrapulmonary TB is not contagious, it may co-exist with pulmonary TB, which is contagious.[2]
References
- ↑ Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWHO2004data - ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Tuberculosis Elimination. Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis: What the Clinician Should Know. 4th edition (2000). Updated Aug 2003.