Tuberculosis

By Luke Carroll 1B

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that

usually infects the lungs, but can attack almost any part of the body.

What Is It?

Tuberculosis usually affects the lungs, but is

also found in the throat.

Respiratory System

There are two types of Tuberculosis (TB), latent TB, and active TB. With the two different types are two different treatment measures.

Treatment

- A person with a latent TB infection will

undergo preventive treatment, which kills the TB germs before they can cause any damage. Normally this consists

of a daily dose of isoniazid (INH) for 6 to 9 months.

Treatment

A person with active TB will have a

combination of drugs to combat the infection for 6 to 12 months. The most important part of treatment is taking the drugs correctly and for the full length of

time prescribed or the person could become sick and infect others.

Treatment

These drugs include isoniazid (INH) plus two to

three other drugs including rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for an active TB infection.

For just a TB infection the most common preventive drug is isoniazid (INH).

Pharmacology

If it is not treated, TB can be fatal. TB is spread from person to person normally

to close friends or family who a person spends the most time with.

TB is spread most easily from a closed space for a long period of time.

Progression

TB can almost always be treated and cured if

you take medicine as directed by your doctor. Once you begin treatment, within weeks you will no

longer be contagious. If you take your medicine just as your doctor tells you, all the TB germs should be killed.

Expected outcome

In the “old days” it was called consumption,

because going untreated caused them to waste away. And it was treated by putting people in fresh air houses and quarantined off.

Old Time Treatment