Five misunderstandings about tuberculosis

Remember Mr.
Lu Xun's "Medicine"?

At that time, people used human blood steamed buns to treat tuberculosis, that is, tuberculosis
.
There is no shortage of misunderstandings
about tuberculosis since ancient times.

Does infection mean onset?

Infection with TB bacteria does not mean being a TB patient
.
According to the United Nations, about 1/3 of the world's population has latent infection with tuberculosis, these people show no symptoms, chest x-ray results are normal, and only tuberculin intradermal test
results are positive.
About 1 in 10 people who carry TB bacteria will develop active TB, that is, become a person with
TB.

Is tuberculosis a disease of the elderly?

Many of the patients admitted to the hospital are infants and young children, including young patients
.
On the one hand, due to the large population base of tuberculosis infection, newborns who have not been vaccinated with BCG can be infected by contact with tuberculosis bacteria from family members, nannies, etc.
On the other hand, due to the high mobility of young people, they often gather in places with poor air circulation such as Internet cafes, and at the same time, due to irregular life and staying up late, the body's immunity is low, and they have become susceptible to
tuberculosis.

Misdiagnosis: Have you been coughing for more than two weeks?

In China, the total number of tuberculosis patients ranks second in the world, after India
.
Tuberculosis is not uncommon, but due to its atypical early clinical symptoms, it is still easy to be misdiagnosed as pneumonia and other common lung diseases, and sometimes even mistaken for tumors
.
Patients with cough, sputum production for more than two weeks, antibiotic treatment ineffective for two weeks, recurrent attacks or prolonged treatment, should be alert to the possibility of active pulmonary tuberculosis, and should make a differential diagnosis
of tuberculosis.

Can medication be irregular?

Like all treatments for microbial infections, TB faces drug resistance
.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has primary drug resistance, and there is also the problem
of secondary drug resistance, that is, acquired drug resistance.
The latter refers to the patient's original infection with drug-sensitive tuberculosis bacteria, but due to irregular medication and insufficient treatment, drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria
develop during treatment.
This increases the risk of treatment failure and TB recurrence, and also means that existing anti-TB drugs are ineffective
.
Treatment of drug-resistant TB uses second-line drugs, are expensive, have a longer course of treatment, and are more difficult to cure
.
In order to avoid artificially induced acquired drug resistance, drug treatment should be based on the principle
of "regularity" for tuberculosis patients.
For the interruption of treatment under special circumstances, such as drug damage to liver function or intolerance for various reasons, the treatment plan should be adjusted under the guidance of a doctor, and the drug should not be stopped without authorization, let alone change the "rhythm"
of medication at will.

Does BCG prevent infection?

BCG is the first dose in the national immunization program after birth, but many people do not understand the role of
BCG.
As a live attenuated vaccine, BCG can reduce the incidence of severe tuberculosis in children, such as tuberculous meningitis and hematogenous spread tuberculosis, but it does not prevent tuberculosis infection, and BCG vaccine does not provide lifelong immunity
。 In order to prevent tuberculosis, the general population should first achieve a healthy lifestyle, such as quitting smoking, exercising, strengthening resistance, and avoiding places with poor air circulation and excessive crowds, such as Internet cafes; When in contact with tuberculosis patients, patients and contacts should wear masks, the workplace should also pay attention to ventilation and light, try to combine work and rest at work, overwork is easy to let tuberculosis bacteria "take advantage of the vulnerability"
.
In daily life, you should not spit on the ground, try to cover your mouth and nose with tissues, hands or handkerchiefs when sneezing, and keep the room clean and ventilated
.