Tuberculosis treatment and prevention
Once a dreaded disease, tuberculosis treatment have paved the way for increase in tuberculosis cure in the global health scenario. Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB is a lethal infectious disease which is caused by the different strains of mycobacteria organism with Mycobacterium tuberculosis being the most common causative agent.
The disease is actually one of the world’s most prevalent with one third of the world’s population being infected in either symptomatic or asymptomatic manner. The prevalence of TB cases is largely due to the disease’s communicability.
Key to more effective tuberculosis treatment
The most important key of all is early detection. Patients who suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis appear to be consumed from within; the reason why it was once called ‘consumption’. A TB sufferer will be seen with the following signs and symptoms:
- chest pain
- coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
- productive cough for more than three weeks
- fever
- chills
- night sweats
- loss of appetite
- weight loss/ body wasting
- pallor
- fatigue/ generalized malaise
The night sweats and severe hot flashes during the night that can drench sleepwear and sheets and are unrelated to environment conditions. However, in patients’ whose infection has spread outside the pulmonary area, other manifestations will be present depending on where the infection has reached.
Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis may affect the cardiovascular, nervous, skeletal and genitourinary system. Early detection of the disease is crucial to the success of tuberculosis treatment. Thus, when one suspects of having the disease especially when a known carrier is in the immediate environment, undergoing screening and diagnostic tests is essential.
The most effective tuberculosis treatment modality
Multiple drug therapy is the cornerstone in tuberculosis treatment. It is the use of a combination of antibiotic drugs to assure lesser resistance of the bacteria towards the medication. Unlike other bacterial infections, tuberculosis treatment takes on a longer course. For uncomplicated TB case, the treatment usually lasts for about 6 months. Latent TB cases on the other hand take longer with 6-9 months medication period.
The first-line of anti-tuberculosis drug names are given with a standard three-letter and a single-letter abbreviation:
- Ethambutol ( EMB or E)
- isoniazid (INH or H)
- pyrazinamide (PZA or Z)
- rifampicin (RMP or R)
- streptomycin (STM or S)
In the standard ‘short’ course uncomplicated tuberculosis treatment, the combination drug is given in this formula: HREZ in first two months, and HR in the following four months.
Tuberculosis Treatment Side and Adverse Effects
TB medications are very potent drugs which pose some side and adverse effects. Patients under the first-line medication are monitored for the following:
- Ethambutol- optic neuritis, red-green color blindness, peripheral neuropathy, joint pains, hyperuricaemia, vertical nystagmus, milk skin reaction
- Isoniazid - rash, abnormal liver function tests, hepatitis, peripheral neuropathy, mild central nervous system (CNS) effects
- Pyrazinamide- joint pains, hepatoxicity
- Rifampicin- hepatotoxicity, pruritus, rash, redness and watering of eyes, abdominal symptoms, flu-like symptoms.
- Streptomycin- ototoxicity