How Can Tuberculosis Be Diagnosed?

Tuberculosis 

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria spreads through the air from person to person and mainly attacks the lungs, but it can affect other areas of the body.


Diagnosis of tuberculosis can be a complex process. Doctors first consider a person`s medical history and possible exposure to a person with an active illness. After that, a series of screenings and tuberculosis tests may be needed to confirm tuberculosis and make treatment decisions.
 
Latent tuberculosis infections are asymptomatic and have a low number of bacteria, so they can only be detected by a few screening tests.
 
The first test used to detect tuberculosis is called the tuberculin skin test, also known as the Mantu test or PPD (purified protein derivative). A solution of M. tuberculosis is injected into the uppermost layer of skin on the forearm. Then return within 48 or 72 hours to inspect the injection site. If you have a red raised ridge that is larger than 5 to 15 millimeters, you may be infected with tuberculosis. 

But this test is not a perfect science. The results may be incorrect and will display false positives or false positives. (5.11)

Blood tests can provide more meaningful results. The interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) test measures the body's immune response to the presence of M. tuberculosis. After taking a blood sample, a test is done in the laboratory. If the initial screening is positive, further tests are needed to diagnose active tuberculosis.

 A clinical test can determine the strain of M. tuberculosis that a person has and which antibiotic is most effective. Imaging provides more information about where the disease is and how it affects the body.
Diagnostic tests used for tuberculosis include: (5,11)

Diagnostic tests used for TB include: (5,11)
  • Sputum sample: Sputum is the mucus that comes out when you cough. Sputum samples can be tested directly for M. tuberculosis in the laboratory. 
  • Molecular tests: These help detect the genetic material of the bacterium and determine which antibiotic is most effective. 
  • Biopsy: A biopsy of a lung, lymph node, or other tissue can be cultured to grow bacteria and make them easier to see under a microscope. 

 Imaging tests used for tuberculosis include:

  • A chest x-ray may be done to look for signs of tuberculosis in the lungs. 
  • Computed Tomography (CT) Scans CT scans can be used to look for tuberculosis in the spine or to better see the lungs when x-rays are obscured. 
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) If a doctor thinks that a tuberculosis infection has spread to these areas, an MRI of the spine or brain may be done. 
  • Bone Scan scintigraphy These can be used to see the difference between cancerous lesions and lesions caused by tuberculosis.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaked s3x video of Nollywood actress Moyo Lawal & people's reaction

Image
Netizens are feasting on what look to be s3x video recordings of famous Nollywood actress Moyo Lawal and an unknown male. However, based on her Instagram activity an hour or two after the clips were revealed, the actress seemed indifferent, continuing to post material completely unrelated to the news. Her most recent post, approximately an hour ago, was on her involvement in the film 'Chameleon,' which drew over 6,000 comments within an hour of being published. The majority of the comments, predictably, focused on the sex video rather than the film. Some made light of the sex tape in the comments area, while others reached out to the actress in sympathy. Mimi Orjiekwe, Nina Ivy, Bobrisky, Moet Abebe, and a slew of other celebrities sent emojis and nice words to the actress. Moyo didn't technically respond to anybody, but her previous post definitely says something about her mental condition. "The only magic I still believe in is love," Moyo Lawal wrote. “And if yo
Read more

Strange but true: Getting pregnant when you're already pregnant

Image
HOW CAN YOU GET RE-PREGNANT?  When you are already pregnant, you can get re-pregnant and here's how. A fertilized egg can follow the fertilization of another egg, due to another sexual intercourse. This could be in the same ovulation cycle (superfecundation) or spread across two ovulation cycles (superfetation). Now, this leads to two types of re-pregnancies. SUPERFECUNDATION: This process refers to the fertilization of two ova released in the same ovulation cycle by different sperms as a result of two different sexual activities. Now, as they are from two different intercourses, the father for each of the egg could be different. If this happens, it leads to twins by same fathers or different fathers. SUPERFETATION: Now, call this one a glitch as once your body has received a sperm and fertilized an egg, there's supposed to be no more ovulation cycles. But, sometimes, quite rarely, your body can have an ovulation cycle even after it has fertilized an egg.  Now, if you have se
Read more

What you need to know about skin fissure or crack foot.

Image
 What is skin fissure? Skin fissures are cracks in the skin or under the foot that forms due to intense dryness and thickened skin. Fissures can be superficial or deep, and they may bleed or be painful. Reason for fissure or crack foot There are two reasons you get dry and cracked feet. And, while your local podiatrist can treat both, the treatment options are different. So you need to know what's causing your problem, to get the right solution. 1. Environmental Causes:      Environmental causes is one of the major reason one will have skin fissure because normally, your feet and skin is supposed to be smooth. But they can dry out because of the environment. Or if you have certain conditions or take medications that cause skin dryness. Some places in some countries, they have to worry about dry skin for much of the year. In the summer, or whenever it's hot, you're more likely to wear open shoes or sandals. And that's a big problem for your feet. Particularly the skin o
Read more