Treatment and Preventions

Treatment

Today, there are various drugs that have been produced in order to treat tuberculosis. However the patients would have to take the medications for a lengthy period of time to totally eradicate the bacteria. The exact drugs and length of treatment depends on their age and their health and whether the patient has a TB infection or active TB.

Treating TB infection
If tests indicate a TB infection but not the active form of the disease, the doctor may recommend a daily dose of isoniazid (INH). This will eradicate dormant bacteria that could become active in the future. The patient would have to take it for six to nine months in order for the treatment to be effective. However with long term use of this drug side effects can occur, such as the liver disease hepatitis so patients are monitored closely. 

Treating Active TB disease
If a patient is diagnosed with active TB, then they would be prescribed these four drugs:

• Isoniazid
• Rifampin 
• Ethambutol
• Pyrazinamide

These drugs mainly inhibit the growth and transcription of the TB bacteria. However some drugs may be changed within a few a few months if they are found to be ineffective or are subject to drug resistance.

The drugs may sometimes be combined in a single tablet called Rifater, which contains isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide. This makes drug treatment easier while ensuring that the patient still obtains the required drugs needed to eradicate the Tuberculosis bacteria.

See a picture of Rifater capsules at www.walgreens.com/images/drug/0100185079930.jpg.

However there are some side effects that are associated with usage of these drugs such as:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Jaundice
• Fever
• Blurred vision
• Lead to liver damage

These effects are not common but the doctor would still have to monitor the patient's usage of these drugs.

Treating Drug-resistant TB 
Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is a strain of TB that is resistant to two of the most powerful TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampin. It develops due to the inability of patients to finish their medication.

However MDR-TB can be treated. It requires two years of intense therapy with highly toxic drugs. Even if treatment is successful patients still need surgery to repair lung damage caused by this serious strain of tuberculosis.

Prevention

Tuberculosis is a preventable disease. It has been stated that the best way to control the disease is to diagnose and treat people early before the bacteria becomes active. There are some measures that could be performed to protect people from the disease:

BCG Vaccine - Has been shown to offer some protection to infants around the world however it has been proven to be ineffective against adult pulmonary TB.

Stay home - Patients with TB should not go to work or school for a couple of weeks while they receive treatment.

Ensure Good ventilation - Windows should be open when possible to let in fresh air.

Cover mouth - A patient needs two to three weeks of treatment before he/she is no longer contagious. During this period, they should cover their mouth with a tissue any time they cough, laugh or sneeze. They should then seal and throw the dirty tissue in order to destroy any chance of the TB bacteria spreading. 

BCG Apparatus image is courtesy of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BCG_apparatus_ja2.jpg under the terms of the GMU Free Documentation License.