Friday, February 20, 2009

can two people with the tuberculosis trait infect their children with full blown tuberculosis

can two people with the tuberculosis trait infect their children with full blown tuberculosis?

Infectious Diseases - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
There isn't a tuberculosis trait. It's an infection. People who are around people who have tuberculosis can pass it on.
2 :
Likely. Are the people in the hospital?
3 :
some people may be more susceptible to certain infections, if both of you then your child may be as well; that is different than being infected... in which case there is obvious immediate risk to the child of course!
4 :
This is not a genetic disease that is automatically passed on. This is a cold like virus, where the parents have an active case... it's not always active, the body seals it off and it becomes inactive...can't transmit. They may get it if they have an active case and sneeze in their face. Please everybody with TB sneeze in a kleenex, and keep hands washed...for the world's sake. Thanks.
5 :
Tuberculosis (TB) is primarily an illness of the respiratory system, and is spread by coughing and sneezing. Each year about 1.6 million people die from this curable disease. A child usually gets TB infection from being exposed to a sputum-positive adult. Young children below ten years of age are at risk of becoming infected with TB bacilli. They are also at high risk of developing active tuberculosis because the immune system of young children is less developed. The chance of developing TB disease is greatest shortly after infection. When children present with active tuberculosis disease their family members and other close contacts should be investigated for TB to find the source of the disease and treat them as necessary. The diagnosis of tuberculosis in children can be difficult because children under the age of 10 years usually cannot cough up enough sputum to be sent for laboratory investigations to confirm the infection of tuberculosis. The diagnosis is thus largely based on the clinical features of cough, weight loss, with a history of close contact with an infectious adult TB patient. With increasing coverage of BCG vaccination, the tuberculin skin test is no longer considered a confirmatory test. Chest X-rays of children are difficult to interpret as the typical shadow is rarely seen. Suspect TB in a child * Who is ill, with a history of contact with a suspect or confirmed case of pulmonary TB; * Who does not return to normal health after measles or whooping cough; * With loss of weight, cough, fever who does not respond to antibiotic therapy for acute respiratory disease; * With abdominal swelling, hard painless mass and free fluid; * With painless firm or soft swelling in a group of superficial lymph nodes; * With signs suggesting meningitis or disease in the central nervous system



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Monday, February 16, 2009

Can antimicrobics treat and cure tuberculosis

Can antimicrobics treat and cure tuberculosis?
Are there still BCG (TB) vaccines used in other countries?
Other - Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If you have tuberculosis, your Doctor will tell you about the latest medication.
2 :
There are BCG vaccines still used. I hear they have popularity in southeast asia and Latin america. They are about 50% effective. Antimicrobics can treat TB. 6 months to a year of a combination of between 1 and 3 medications will cure it. INH is the main drug used. Pyridoxamine is another. I can't remember the other two used. The infection is particularly hard to get rid of, even with the excellent medications that we have. It is extremely important to adhere to the medications and take them every day even if you feel better.
3 :
TB is a curable infectious disease, the quadruple antibiotics commonly used are isoniazid (INH), rifampin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide. The reason for use of 4 different antibiotics is because the bacteria can develop resistance to treatment easily if not treated properly. BCG is still used in developing countries but is not used in the U.S.
4 :
It really depends on what strain of bacteria you are infected with. It can definitely cure TB, but if the bacteria is getting more resistant to the antibiotic, you will have to resort to other antibiotics that are more risky and have stronger side effects



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Thursday, February 12, 2009

what is the treatment for a person with drug resistant tuberculosis

what is the treatment for a person with drug resistant tuberculosis?

Infectious Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Take a long plane ride.....with no mask.
2 :
quarantine in a very far away place!
3 :
My son has HIV and is resistant to so much, that he takes a med, now, called Zyvox.........it costs $100 a pill.......but, he gets help with that cost. Has your doctor tried that for you? It might work for you. It helps my son.
4 :
I am assuming this is for just curiosity sake, not that you know someone who has it! The treatment for the most resistant form of TB (aka, extreme drug resistant TB XDR TB) consists of four drugs: 1) Isoniazid (INH) 6 months 2) Rifampin 6 months 3) Pyrazinamide (PZA) 2 months 4) Ethambutol 2 months Dosages change with age and weight. Also, Vitamin B6 is added because PZA can interfere with the metabolism of B6 in your diet. Also, isolation for the first 21 days of treatment in a negative pressure room. Drugs intake afterwards must be monitored by a nurse daily, since some people stop taking them after they become assymptomatic. Hope that satisfies your curiosity, Dr. J



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