Saturday, November 28, 2009

What does tuberculosis mean

What does tuberculosis mean?
My friend might have tuberculosis. Can anyone tell me what this means.... like what will happen and how it will affect them?
Infectious Diseases - 1 Answers
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1 :
it is an extremely infectious lung disease. They will be prescribed a special set of antibiotics. It is important that you follow the prescription precisely. So important that you will not be trusted to follow it. A health official will come around daily to administer it. And all who have come in contact with your friend will have to be tested also including yourself



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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Is there a vaccine for Tuberculosis

Is there a vaccine for Tuberculosis?
If yes, then why arent health care providers required to get one?
Medicine - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
yes there is!!
2 :
yes, and they are.
3 :
No there is not one that is as effective as most people associate vaccines with being. It is generally not reccomended to use the vaccination in countries with low prevelancy rates since it interferes with testing for tuberculosis and is not particuraly effective in adults
4 :
currently in the Uk it is not available anymore as they are working on a new one. I am a health worker and have not had it because I missed it as a child, I have been told that I am clear to work untill the new one comes out
5 :
yes there is...in my country you get it during school...but it was discovered that if the population is well fed tbc is not a problem...so some countries do not vaccine people any more...ah,and if you wanted to ask that tbc is going up-not true...many people with aids get tbc so they enter in statistics and old people may get ill but they were infected in childhood...forget tbc-pay vaccine for hepatitis b if you're not vaccined yet!!!
6 :
Yes, it's called a BCG. BCG - the current vaccine for tuberculosis Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) is the current vaccine for tuberculosis. It was first used in 1921. BCG is the only vaccine available today for protection against tuberculosis. It is most effective in protecting children from the disease. History of the vaccine Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) containes a live attenuated (weakened) strain of Mycobacterium bovis. It was originally isolated from a cow with tuberculosis by Calmette and Guren who worked in Paris at the Institute Pasteur. This strain was carefully subcultured every three weeks for many years. After about thirteen years the strain was seen to be less virulent for animals such as cows and guinea pigs. During these thirteen years many undefined genetic changes occurred to change the original stain of M. bovis. This altered organism was called BCG. In addition to the loss of virulence, other changes to BCG were noted. These included a pronounced change in the appearance of colonies grown in the laboratory. Colonies of M. bovis have a rough granular appearance whereas colonies of BCG are moist and smooth. Today there are several strains of “BCG”. BCG was first used as a vaccine to protect humans against tuberculosis in 1921. At first, cultures of BCG were maintained in Paris. Later, it was subcultured and distributed to several laboratories throughout the world where the vaccine strain called BCG continued to be maintained by continuous subculture. After many years it became clear that the various strains maintained ain different laboratories were no longer identical to each other. Indeed, it was likely that all the various strains maintained by continuous subculture continued to undergo undefined genetic changes. Indeed, the "original" strain of BCG maintained at in Paris had continued to change during the subcultures needed to maintain the viability of the culture. To limit these continuing changes the procedures needed to maintain the strain were modified. Today, the organism is maintained in several laboratories using a "seed lot" production technique to limit further genetic variation using freeze-dried (also called lyphilized) cells so that each batch starts with the same cells. Safety After extensive tests in animals, BCG was first used as a vaccine in 1921. It was given orally to infants. Since this time the vaccine has been widely used. Today, it is estimated that more than 1 billion people have received BCG. BCG is widely used and the safety of this vaccine has not been a serious issue until recently. There is a concern that use of the vaccine in persons who are immune compromised may result is an infection caused by the BCG itself. Also, even among immune competent persons, local reactions, including ulceration at the site of vaccination may result in shedding of live organisms which could infect others who may be immune compromised. The early use of BCG was marked by a tragic accident. In Lubeck more than 25% of the approximately 250 infants who received a batch of the vaccine developed tuberculosis. It was later recognized that this batch was accidentally contaminated with a virulent strain of M. tuberculosis. BCG production and substrains The BCG vaccines that are currently in use are produced at several (seven?) sites throughout the world. These vaccines are not identical. To what extent they differ in efficacy and safety in humans is not clear at present. Some differences in molecular and genetic characteristics are known. What is not known is if the "BCG" from one manufacturer is "better" than one produced at another site. Each BCG is now know by the location where it is produced. For example, we have BCG (Paris), BCG (Copenhagen), BCG (Tice) and BCG (Montreal) among others.
7 :
YES, B.C.G. TRY ISONIAZID SYRUP OR TRY RIFADIN TABS. AS PER YOUR DOCTORS ORDER



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Friday, November 20, 2009

how many people die from Tuberculosis yearly

how many people die from Tuberculosis yearly?
a. 1 million b. 2 million c. 1 billion d. 500,000 and let me know where ya found the info
Infectious Diseases - 1 Answers
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1 :
About 5000 people die every day from TB (about 1.8 million) a year. If TB is left unchecked for the next 20 years, 1 billion new infections will occur, 230 million of those will develop active TB, and 35 million will die. TB is getting worse and is feeding the HIV epidemic, just as the HIV epidemic is feeding the TB epidemic. TB is completely cureable in most cases. The stats above come from UNAIDS and stoptb.org



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Thursday, November 12, 2009

tuberculosis is a disease in what body system

tuberculosis is a disease in what body system?
pulmonary, nervous, cardiovascular, or digestive.
Infectious Diseases - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Lungs
2 :
Pulmonary
3 :
Pulmonary.
4 :
Tuberculosis is classically a disease of lungs, but has the nasty habit of appearing anywhere in the body, including bones (can cause vertebra collapse) and basically any organ. It can be fatal. Get check out if you think you have it. Then again, anybody who has ever been exposed to TB will have a positive test wether you have it or not, has to be verified by an MD.
5 :
TB can occur in every system of the body. Different types of TB include respiratory (pulmonary is outdated terminology); laryngeal; non-respiratory, specifically miliary and TB meningitis. TB can be found in bones, blood, and other body fluids.
6 :
pulmonary... mostly effects the lungs but can spread elsewhere



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Sunday, November 8, 2009

I'm a bartender. I just found out one of my customers is in the hospital with tuberculosis

I'm a bartender. I just found out one of my customers is in the hospital with tuberculosis.
Could he have infected the other customers at the bar? Just how contagious is tuberculosis?
Respiratory Diseases - 4 Answers
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1 :
It is considered highly contagious.
2 :
we all can easily acquire TB but it depends on the immune system of the person, if you have a weak immune system, you could easily catch the disease. and TB can be acquired through air droplets which means inhaling right after the person coughed near you.
3 :
TB is a bacteria, and is spread by droplet form. in can be present in someone for months or years before showing itself with symptoms, although is not contagious at this stage. If you're worried about it, go to the doctor. there is a skin test to test for it, although it is not the most effective test as it will give false positives if you've had tb before, or a particular tb vaccine (and can give false negatives for 10-12 weeks after your exposure) if you're worried about your customers, you can inform them, but it may cause panic. if you do inform them, have information handy about how and where to get tested, it can really ease the shock and panic. i guess you need to work out whether your customer was ill the last time they came in, if they were sneezing and coughing and whether they were doing so in very near proximity to anyone.
4 :
VERY -- get a TB test to make sure u aren't infected



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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

If someone has tuberculosis & is on medication wearing mask, is it safe to be close to active diseased person

If someone has tuberculosis & is on medication wearing mask, is it safe to be close to active diseased person
What about when person with active TB has to take mask off to eat or drink? I can't check with doctor today because it is Labor Day. (office closed)
Infectious Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
its safe because theres no way for the disease to get carried to you if he/she has a mask on.
2 :
If you have been immunised then here is not much chance of catching it. Not all forms of TB are infectios anyway. Check with the doc treating him/her first
3 :
TB is spread via droplets (coughing, sneezing, etc). So, if mask comes off to eat, and person does not cough or sneeze, then you should be OK. If you were born in the USA, you probably have not been immunized against TB. The US does not require TB vac. Lots of other countries do, though. If you have been immunized, little chance of contracting TB even if droplet contact.
4 :
I wouldn't use the word 'safe' exactly, but it's not likely you'll catch. TB is passed through water droplets, that are spout off when a pt. coughs. Medical professionals use masks, and if the mask is right kind it WILL protect people from TB. However, if they took the mask off to eat or drink, it IS possible that if they coughed to have let to loose in the air. But, if not, then I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Most strains of TB are treatable now. If you think you may have been exposed, it's worth the peace of mind to talk to someone, including the pt. themselves. TB takes awhile to incubate, so don't expect a test result right away or for them to even test or check



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Sunday, November 1, 2009

I JUST GOT A POSITIVE TUBERCULOSIS SKIN TEST, CAN THIS DISEASE KILL ME

I JUST GOT A POSITIVE TUBERCULOSIS SKIN TEST, CAN THIS DISEASE KILL ME?
Hi I got a posisitve tuberculosis skin test and I'm going to get an x-ray tomorrow, Can this disease kill me? and if it can how long does it take to kill?
Other - Diseases - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
A person with active TB disease has a large amount of TB bacteria in the body. TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs. TB that is resistant to drugs is harder and more expensive to treat. Overall, take your medicine and you should be fine.
2 :
WOAH slow the horse down!! just because you have a positive test doesn't mean you HAVE TB!!! it merely means that either A) you've been exposed to someone who has TB or B) you just test +. that's why they do the chest x-ray; it will show any evidence of present or past disease. no need to jump the bridge yet!
3 :
To answer your questions 1. TB can kill. But with todays treatments that is unlikely. Furthermore, you may not have active TB. You may have latent TB 2. If you have active TB then you must be treated for 12 months with a minimum of 4 meds. If you have latent then you may be treated for 6-9 months with one medication. Here's some more info: You have a positive TB skin test (PPD). The fact that your doc is sending you to get a chest x-ray means that you are NOT showing symptoms of active TB (low grade fevers, wt loss, cough, cough with blood etc...)...otherwise s/he would have hospitalized you and put you under respiratory isolation. The next question is why did you have a positive PPD? Unfortunately, you haven't given any additional information. Are you immunocompromised or a health-care worker?? One reason why a person may have a positive is because of the bCG vaccine. If you're from another country then you may have had a bCG vaccine (look for that weird mark/scar on your arm which you've had as long as you can remember). It would have been useful to know your age The purpose of the chest xray is to look for active TB. If your chest xray shows signs of active TB then you'll be treated accordingly. If your chest xray is negative then your diagnosis is latent. You should be treated for 6-9 months. But this is a physician preference area meaning that your doc may not treat if s/he has good reason. Finally, whatever the outcome, make sure to save ALL medical records pertaining to TB because you'll always be PPD positive...and you'll have to explain why and what happened. Otherwise you'll have to go through the same thing again



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