We've taken on the major health problems of the poorest - tuberculosis, maternal mortality, AIDS, malaria - in four countries. We've scored some victories in the sense that we've cured or treated thousands and changed the discourse about what is possible. Paul Farmer TB is short for tuberculosis. TB disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The bacteria typically attack the lungs; however TB bacteria can occur in any part of the body such as the kidney, spleen, and brain. If not treated correctly, TB disease can be fatal. It is chiefly dangerous for people infected with HIV. Tuberculosis and HIV can be a deadly mixture.In fact, globally TB is the leading cause of death among people infected with HIV. For this fact, it is important for people living with HIV to get a TB skin test often as routine part of HIV care.
This essay will describe the case study of Ms. Q. , a 32-year-old female, who was diagnosed with HIV infection 5 years ago. She has continued to work as a receptionist at an insurance agency.
Ms. Q. recently had a tuberculin skin test, which was interpreted as positive. She has shared this information with the office manager out of concern for its implications for her employment as well as concern for her co-workers and customers of the agency.
The condition of tuberculosis will be examined in great detail as to the effects on Ms. ’s Q as it relates to HIV and her social experiences. Describe the condition presented in the selected case, including signs and symptoms, course of the disease, prognosis, and resultant needs of the patient TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick.As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection and active TB disease” (Rothel ,2005). TB infection usually occurs initially in the upper part (lobe) of the lungs. The body's immune system, however, can stop the bacteria from continuing to reproduce. Thus, the immune system can make the lung infection inactive .
On the other hand, if the body's immune system cannot contain the TB bacteria, the bacteria will replicate in the lungs and spread elsewhere in the body. It can take several months from the time the infection initially gets into the lungs until symptoms develop.The usual symptoms that occur with an active TB infection are a generalized tiredness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. If the infection in the lung worsens, then further symptoms can include coughing, chest pain, coughing up of sputum and/or blood, and shortness of breath.
If the infection spreads beyond the lungs, the symptoms will depend upon the organs involved. Tuberculosis of the lungs usually results in no or minimal symptoms in its early stages. In most persons the primary infection is contained by the body's immune system, and the lesion, called a tubercle, becomes calcified.In many the infection is permanently arrested.
In others the disease may break out again and become active years later, usually when the body's immune defenses are low. Untreated, the infection can progress until large areas of the lung and other organs are destroyed. Symptoms of the disease include cough, sputum, bleeding from the lungs, fever, night sweats, loss of weight, and weakness. Latent TB Infection: TB bacteria can live in your body without making you sick. This is called latent TB infection (LTBI). In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing.
People with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. The only sign of TB infection is a positive skin test or special TB blood test. People with latent TB infection are not contagious and cannot spread TB bacteria to others. Nevertheless, if TB bacteria become active in the body and multiply, the person will get sick with TB disease. TB Disease: TB bacteria become active if the immune system can't stop them from increasing.
When TB bacteria are multiplying in the body, this is called TB disease. TB disease will make you sick.People with TB disease may spread the bacteria to people they spend time with every day. Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB disease.
“Certain people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected fast like in weeks” (WHO, 2009). Other people may get sick years later, when their immune system becomes weak for another reason (Cancer, HIV). “For persons whose immune systems are weak, especially those with HIV infection, the risk of developing TB disease is much higher than for persons with normal immune systems” (Lasmer,2002). So the first thing Ms. Q need to do is not panic.
A positive test means that, at some point in her lifetime, she has been exposed and infected with TB. She will need to talk with her doctor about the next step which usually is a chest x-ray is done to see if it’s active or latent. Hopefully it will be latent, meaning it is not active, contagious, or going to make her sick. In various cases, a positive test may show an active infection.
If this is the case, her doctor will converse symptoms, order any other necessary tests (such as a chest x-ray), and set a sequence of treatment. The main goal is to find if Ms. Q has latent TB or TB disease.People with latent tuberculosis are increasingly becoming infected with HIV, and many more are developing active TB because HIV is weakening their immune system. People who are co-infected with both HIV and latent TB have an up to 50 times greater risk of developing active tuberculosis disease and becoming infectious compared to people not infected with HIV.
People with advanced HIV infection are vulnerable to a wide range of infections and malignancies that are called 'opportunistic infections' because they take advantage of the opportunity offered by a weakened immune system.Tuberculosis is an HIV related opportunistic infection. A person that has both HIV and active tuberculosis has an AIDS defining illness” (Rothel, 2005). The HIV/AIDS epidemic is reviving an old problem in well-resourced countries and greatly worsening the existing problem of tuberculosis in resource poor countries. There are several important associations between the epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis: is harder to diagnose in HIV positive people. “Tuberculosis progresses faster in HIV-infected people” (WHO, 2009).
Tuberculosis in HIV positive people is more likely to be fatal if undiagnosed or left untreated.It occurs earlier in the course of HIV infection than other opportunistic infections Discuss the various ways in which the condition will affect the individual’s social experiences “People with TB disease, need to take quite a few different drugs for at least six months, even if they start feeling well after only a few weeks of treatment”(Lasmer,2002). This is because there are many bacteria to be killed. Taking several drugs as prescribed will do a better job of killing all of the bacteria and preventing them from becoming resistant to the drugs. TB disease can almost always be cured with medicine.HIV infection deteriorates the immune system, people with TB infection and HIV infection are at very high risk of developing TB disease.
All HIV-infected people should be given a TB skin test to find out if they have TB infection. If they have TB infection, they need preventive therapy as soon as possible to prevent them from developing TB disease. If they have TB disease, they must take medicine to cure the disease. TB disease can be prevented or cured in people with HIV infection. In closing the positive TB test for Ms.
Q is not a death sentence.Someone with TB infection and HIV infection does have a very high risk of developing TB disease. Without treatment, these two infections can work together to shorten the life of the person infected with both. The great news is that TB infection can be prevented from developing into TB disease and TB disease can be cured.
The first step is to find out if Ms. Q is infected with the TB germ. She can do this by getting a TB skin test. “People with TB of the lungs or throat are probably infectious”(Shen,2006). Ms. Q just need to stay home from work or any other people closeness activities so that she don't spread TB bacteria to other people.
After taking the medicine for a few weeks, she will feel better and may no longer be infectious to others. Ms. Q doctor or nurse will tell them when she can return to work . Having TB should not stop MS.
Q from leading a normal life. When she is no longer infectious or feeling sick, she can do the same things she did before she had TB. The medicine that Ms. Q will take should not affect her strength, sexual function, or ability to work.
If Ms. Q takes her medicine as the doctor or nurse tells them, the medicine will kill all the TB bacteria. This will keep Ms. Q from becoming sick again.
