Tuberculosis (TB) Complications

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which doctor should I see if I have pulmonary / lung tuberculosis?

You should see a general physician or a respiratory care doctor in case of pulmonary tuberculosis.

2. What are the complications of tuberculosis?

Complications of tuberculosis include-

• Multi drug resistance
• Relapse of the disease
• Pleural effusion
• Respiratory failure
• Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Death

3. What is drug-resistant tuberculosis?

Drug-resistant TB cannot be treated with some of the common drugs used to treat tuberculosis. Drug resistant TB is also contagious. Treatment for drug resistant TB involves taking different tablets and it lasts longer than six months. Incomplete treatment is one leading cause of drug-resistant TB.

4. What is the TB Burden in India?

In spite of the availability of chemotherapy for TB, there are 14 million tuberculosis cases in India and a staggering 500,000 deaths every year due to this disease. Most TB cases occur in the 15-59 year age group (economically the most productive years) and nearly 50% of population in India is infected with TB.

5. What is the 'Revised National TB Control Program'?

Revised National TB Control Program or RNTCP is the government program for TB control in India. The responsibility of curing the patient is in the hands if the health provider and patient is the VIP of the program. Under RNTCP, as soon as a patient is diagnosed based on sputum microscopy a drug box containing the high quality drugs for the entire duration is made available to the patient. The drugs are given to the patients by DOT (Direct Observation of Treatment) either by the health provider or a community volunteer.

6. What is World Tuberculosis Day?Every year March 24^th is observed as the 'World TB Day' because TB was discovered by Robert Koch on March 24^th 1880. Despite the availability of good chemotherapy and effective treatment regimens TB kills more adults each year than any other infectious disease- more than malaria, diarrhea, AIDS and other tropical diseases put together. Awareness about the symptoms of the disease and removal of the stigma about the disease are crucial factors in TB control.

Myths about TB	Facts about TB
TB is a hereditary disease	TB is a disease that spreads through air
TB occurs only in lower socioeconomic group	Anyone can get TB irrespective of socioeconomic status
Smoking causes TB	Smoking aggravates TB
TB patients should be hospitalized	TB patients can be treated at home and he can continue to work

Cite this Article ⇣⇡

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

• APA

  Dr. Trupti Shirole. (2023, July 21). Tuberculosis - Frequently Asked Questions. Medindia. Retrieved on Dec 27, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/tuberculosis-faq.htm.

• MLA

  Dr. Trupti Shirole. "Tuberculosis - Frequently Asked Questions". Medindia. Dec 27, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/tuberculosis-faq.htm>.

• Chicago

  Dr. Trupti Shirole. "Tuberculosis - Frequently Asked Questions". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/tuberculosis-faq.htm. (accessed Dec 27, 2024).

• Harvard

  Dr. Trupti Shirole. 2023. Tuberculosis - Frequently Asked Questions. Medindia, viewed Dec 27, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/tuberculosis-faq.htm.