Tuberculosis Flashcards
What is tuberculosis
This is a chronic disease caused by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The infection is spread by the
tuberculous patient who discharges
tubercle bacilli in his sputum or
nasopharyngeal secretion during
bouts of coughing or sneezing etc.
This is the usual mode of infection.
Three clinical stages of CNS TB
• Nonspecific constitutional symptoms and headache
are the initial symptoms in stage I
• Cranial nerve palsies and evidence of meningeal
inflammation in stage II
• In the final stage, children have profoundly altered
mentation due to increased intracranial pressure and
vasculitis
Side effects of TB drugs
Isoniazid - hepatotoxicity/ peripheral neuropathy
Rifampicin - hepatotoxicity/ orange colouration of urine or body fluids
Pyrazinamide - hepatotoxicity/ athralgia
Ethambutol - optic neuritis
