TUBERCULOSIS

    TUBERCULOSIS

It is the condition characterized by infection of the lungs

CAUSATIVE ORGANISM

                                 Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ETIOLOGY

1.       Low socio economic class

2.       Malnutrition

3.       Environmental crowding

4.       Environmental pollution

5.       AIDS

6.       Failure to take BCG vaccine due to illiteracy or false beliefs

PATHOLOGY

1.       The disease is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis

2.       The organism are spread when a patient coughs

3.       Incubation of these organisms results in infection of other peoples

4.       The organism may enter  the blood stream and spread to other parts of the body 

5.       These organism can infect the tonsils

CLASSIFICATION

1.       Primary tuberculosis

                                              It is found in the children. There is tuberculosis lesion in the lungs

2.       Post primary tuberculosis

                                      As described in pathology above it is find found in adults

3.       Milinary tuberculosis

                                     Disseminated (spread widely due to spread in blood stream ). There are minute tubercles all over the body

CLINICAL FEATURES

1.       Primary tuberculosis

·         It is found in young children

·         Small lesion in lungs

·         Lymph nodes are enlarged

·         Low grade fever

2.       Post primary pulmonary  tuberculosis

·         Usually seen in adults

·         There is evening rise temperature and night sweating

·         Chronic cough

·         Pleural cough

3.       Milinary tuberculosis

·         The onset is sudden

·         There is evening rise temperature and night sweat

·         There is loss of appetite

·         Loss of weight

·         There is chronic cough

INVESTIGATION

1.       Chest x-ray

2.       Mantoux test

3.       Sputum microscopy

TREATMENT

Anti tuberculosis drugs

1.       Rifampicin -> 450 mg/day orally on empty stomach

2.       Isoniazid -> 300 mg/ day orally at bed time

3.       Streptomycin -> 0.7 g/day IM

4.       Ethambutol -> 800 mg/day orally in the morning

NURSING CARE

1.       The patient is given a mask for preventing spread o f the disease to others by droplets

2.       Isolation is done

3.       Medicine are given as prescribed by the doctor

4.       All close contacts like relatives and friends are asked to take to take BCG vaccine if they  have not been immunized

5.       Light cotton cloths are given as patient get more sweating at night

6.       If patient  is not able not able to take bath, sponge bath should be given

7.       He is educated to hold a handkerchief in front of his mouth and nose when he cough and sneezing

8.       A mask is used while giving care to nurse