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Respiratory Medicine > Tuberculosis > Flashcards

Tuberculosis Flashcards

1
Q

What is tuberculosis (TB)?

A

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs but potentially any organ.

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2
Q

What is the primary mode of transmission for TB?

A

TB is transmitted via respiratory droplets from an infected person during coughing, sneezing, or speaking.

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3
Q

What are the main types of TB?

A

Types include pulmonary TB, extrapulmonary TB, and latent TB infection.

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4
Q

What are the common symptoms of pulmonary TB?

A

Symptoms include a persistent cough (lasting more than three weeks), haemoptysis, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue.

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5
Q

What are the symptoms of extrapulmonary TB?

A

Symptoms depend on the site but may include lymphadenopathy, back pain (spinal TB), abdominal pain, or neurological symptoms (TB meningitis).

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6
Q

What is latent TB infection?

A

Latent TB infection occurs when M. tuberculosis is present but inactive, causing no symptoms and being non-infectious.

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7
Q

What is the pathophysiology of TB?

A

TB infection leads to the formation of granulomas, where the immune system contains the bacteria but may reactivate under conditions of immunosuppression.

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8
Q

What is the aetiology of TB?

A

TB is caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast bacillus.

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9
Q

What are the risk factors for developing TB?

A

Risk factors include immunosuppression (e.g., HIV), close contact with an infected person, malnutrition, homelessness, and travel to endemic areas.

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10
Q

What investigations are used to diagnose active TB?

A

Investigations include chest X-ray, sputum microscopy and culture, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), and biopsy for extrapulmonary TB.

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11
Q

What are the chest X-ray findings in pulmonary TB?

A

Findings may include upper lobe infiltrates, cavitation, nodules, and hilar lymphadenopathy.

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12
Q

How is latent TB diagnosed?

A

Latent TB is diagnosed using the tuberculin skin test (TST) or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA).

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13
Q

What is the tuberculin skin test (TST)?

A

TST measures the immune response to M. tuberculosis antigens by injecting purified protein derivative (PPD) into the skin.

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14
Q

What is the role of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) in TB?

A

IGRA measures the release of interferon-gamma by T-cells in response to TB antigens and is used to diagnose latent TB.

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15
Q

What is the management of latent TB?

A

Latent TB is treated with isoniazid and/or rifampicin to prevent progression to active TB.

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16
Q

What is the standard treatment regimen for active TB?

A

Active TB is treated with a 6-month course of antibiotics: 2 months of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol (intensive phase), followed by 4 months of isoniazid and rifampicin (continuation phase).

17
Q

What are the side effects of isoniazid?

A

Side effects include hepatotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy (prevented with pyridoxine), and rash.

18
Q

What are the side effects of rifampicin?

A

Side effects include hepatotoxicity, orange discolouration of body fluids, and drug interactions.

19
Q

What are the complications of untreated TB?

A

Complications include extensive lung damage, respiratory failure, extrapulmonary spread (e.g., TB meningitis), and death.

20
Q

What is multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)?

A

MDR-TB is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, requiring second-line drugs for treatment.

21
Q

What vaccinations can prevent TB?

A

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine can prevent TB in high-risk populations.

22
Q

What are the indications for BCG vaccination?

A

Indications include infants in areas with high TB prevalence or those with household contacts of TB.

23
Q

What public health measures help control TB?

A

Measures include contact tracing, isolation of infectious patients, vaccination, and prompt treatment of active and latent TB.

24
Q

What are the differential diagnoses for pulmonary TB?

A

Differential diagnoses include lung cancer, pneumonia, sarcoidosis, and fungal infections.

25
Q

What is the global burden of TB?

A

TB is a leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with millions of cases annually.

Respiratory Medicine (11 decks)

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