Protecting Yourself from Tuberculosis

TB Prevention

    Since TB is spread from an infected person to another through the air when speaking, coughing, or sneezing, it is important to protect yourself especially when traveling abroad, like in Figure A. If you expect to come in to regular contact with clinic, homeless shelter, prison, and hospital populations, then it is important to have a tuberculin skin test (TST) before you leave the country.
    If you will be working in health care settings, for example, clinics and hospitals, where TB patients may be found, you should ask about preventing exposure to TB. This can be done by asking about the administrative and environmental procedures for prevention. After doing so, you can also use a personal respiratory mask to protect yourself even further.
    If you think you have been exposed to tuberculosis, contact a local health department to see if you should be tested.

                                    Figure A displays a plane, in which one would use to leave the country. 

Infection Control in Health Care Settings 

   It is very important for everyone to protect themselves against Tuberculosis. Infection is more prominent among patients in health care setting and health care workers. It is vital to have a control plan for TB infection. The plan should ensure airborne precautions, treatment of people who have TB disease, and prompt detection of infectious patients.
   The program should also be based on a hierarchy of control measures. This hierarchy should include: administrative measures, environmental control, and the use of respiratory equipment. The first level is to reduce the risk of uninfected people contracting TB from those who are infected. The second is to reduce the amount of tuberculosis infection in the air. The last level is to use respiratory protection to reduce the risk of infection for health care workers, such as Figure B.

Figure B is a mask, used for respiratory protection.

References 

"Infection Control and Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

Treatment of TB

       Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is separated into two conditions since the bacteria does not make every infected person sick. Latent TB infection and TB disease are the two conditions that can be treated. However, if TB disease is not treated properly, it can be fatal.
     

Treatment for Latent TB Infection 

     The treatment for latent TB infection is prescribed so the infection does not develop into TB disease. Latent TB is where the bacteria in the body are not active; therefore, the person is not sick and does not show symptoms. Since there are fewer bacteria in the infected person, the treatment is easier than that of TB disease. However, people with weak immune systems are at a higher risk for developing TB disease. It is very important to complete the entire treatment for latent TB infection to insure that the person does not develop TB disease if the bacteria become active and multiply. Medications that are often used to treat latent TB infection include:

• rifampin (RIF)
• rifapentine (RPT)
• isoniazid (INH)

Treatment for TB Disease 

     TB disease is also known by the active bacteria in the body, which will make a person sick, and possibly make others sick. TB disease is treated by taking drugs approved by your doctor, for about 6 to 9 months. It is very important to take the drugs exactly as prescribed by your doctor for easier treatment. If you stop taking the drugs to soon, or they are not taken correctly, the TB bacteria that are alive can become resistant to the drugs. Resistant TB is much more difficult to treat. Some of the drugs used to treat TB disease include: 

• rifampin (RIF) 
• isoniazid (INH)
• ethambutol (EMB)
• pyrazinamide (PZA) 

The Completion of Treatment 

       Treatment completion is noted by the number of doses taken over a period of time indicated by your doctor. People with HIV infection, pregnancy, or drug resistance, are certain circumstances where modifications to the treatment plan may take place. 

References: 

Tuberculosis: Treatment. (2012, August 1.). Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/default.htm