This means an open form of tuberculosis. How dangerous is the open form of tuberculosis? Can a closed form of tuberculosis develop into an open form?

Tuberculosis causes the death of many people around the globe. A dangerous type of this disease is the open form of tuberculosis. A person with this disease infects a large number of people nearby in a short time. In this form of the disease, the causative agent of the infection, the tuberculosis bacillus (Koch bacillus), is excreted by its carrier with sputum. A distinctive feature of pathogenic microbes is considered to be survivability and resistance to acidic and alkaline environments, and even some types of antibiotics.

If basic hygiene rules are ignored, the open form of tuberculosis, the symptoms of which are difficult to distinguish from the signs of other diseases, is spread by airborne droplets, household or contact methods. Pulmonary tuberculosis, the open form of which is treated exclusively in a hospital setting, has become so widespread among the population. The open form of tuberculosis, the risk of which is increased for people leading an asocial lifestyle, is also dangerous for other, prosperous categories of the population.

What is open tuberculosis

The open form is determined by bacteriological examination of the patient’s sputum or other secretions. In contrast to the results of the study of the closed form, Koch's bacillus is detected. In the case when a repeated study showed that there are no bacteria in the discharge, it means that the patient has a closed form of the disease.

These two terms are more often used for pulmonary tuberculosis. But bacterial excretion also accompanies other types of tuberculosis, for example, intestines, lymph nodes or organs of the reproductive system. Bacterial excretion (MBT+) is an important indicator that indicates the level of infectious danger of a sick person. After all, they “catch” the disease when communicating with a person who secretes tuberculous mycobacteria. The open form of tuberculosis has an incubation period of 3-4 weeks, after which the symptoms become severe.

Photo 1. The open form of tuberculosis is transmitted by airborne droplets from person to person

In some cases, insufficient laboratory testing power does not allow the detection of mycobacteria in the sputum of patients with open tuberculosis. As a result, although they are non-infectious for medical reasons, they are dangerous to the people around them.

Photo 2. Inflammation of the lymph nodes in some cases contributes to the development of an open form of tuberculosis

Symptoms of the disease

The development of an open form of primary pulmonary tuberculosis is observed in those who have not been in contact with the pathogen. The nature of the course of the disease is characterized by secrecy, and in those places where the infection has penetrated, inflamed areas appear. The lesion becomes caseous (cheesy) and after some time becomes calcified. This pathological process is determined by an x-ray of the chest organs.

The secondary open form of tuberculosis is characterized by scarring and calcification of the lesions. There are patients in whom the pathology occurs with pneumonia or enters through the bloodstream into other organs. Because the organs resemble millet, this form is also called “miliary tuberculosis.” Milium is "millet" in Latin. In such cases, the brightness and variability of symptoms is observed. After several months, the disease reaches its peak.

Photo 3. Miliary tuberculosis (Latin Milium - “millet”) on an x-ray, so named because of its external similarity.

The open form of tuberculosis is expressed by symptoms:

• prolonged cough, which cannot be cured either with medication or folk remedies, coughing up blood;
• elevated body temperature (37.1-37.8 degrees);
• lack of appetite, and, as a result, weight loss;
• pain during inspiration;
• night sweats;
• weakness and shortness of breath.

Photo 4. Promotiontemperature accompanied by fever and cough - a common primary symptom of tuberculosis

If the infection strikes a child, then, in addition to the listed symptoms, he becomes irritable and lethargic. In addition, his performance at school decreases, insomnia and digestive system disorders appear.

Photo 5. Children are at risk for open form of tuberculosis; the disease is accompanied by increased moodiness and fatigue

Diagnosis of open form of tuberculosis

Diagnostics can be laboratory or instrumental. The first is to study sputum, blood and urine. The second involves the use of endoscopy and radiography. Fluorography is a mass screening method of instrumental research. It is valuable because with a slight X-ray load, using this method, a clear result is obtained about the condition of the lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes. Fluorography is performed once every two years. However, for high-risk groups, annual testing is recommended.

Photo 6. Diagnosis of tuberculosis by analyzing sputum in the lungs. Before doing this, take three deep breaths in and out.

For advanced diagnostics, X-rays of the chest cavity are taken (in 2 projections). To clarify the density of formations and their localization, in some cases they resort to computed tomography.

Laboratory diagnostic methods include culture for CD. This method is cultural. With its help, mycobacteria are grown in a nutrient medium and it is determined how sensitive they are to drugs. Whether the body is infected with Koch's bacillus is determined using microscopy. And with the help of PCR diagnostics, a search is carried out in the patient’s biomaterial for DNA or its parts of materials that belong to mycobacteria. In addition, with the help of molecular genetic methods, the sensitivity and resistance of the pathogen to drugs is understood.

Photo 7. To more accurately determine the condition of the lungs, computed tomography (abbreviated CT) is used

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Treatment options

If open tuberculosis is diagnosed, treatment takes place in a special medical institution. Self-medication of the disease is useless and dangerous. If medications are taken uncontrolled, mycobacteria develop resistance to them. As a result, treatment becomes more complicated. Open pulmonary tuberculosis can be treated from six months to two years.

Therapy that suppresses the infection is carried out continuously and systematically. This allows you to stop the progression of the disease. A person with an open form of tuberculosis is treated in a special department of the hospital, where he stays for at least two months. This time is enough to localize the process of active bacterial production.

Photo 8. At first, tuberculosis treatment takes place in a special hospital to avoid infecting others.

The increased risk to others is reduced, and the patient is transferred to outpatient treatment. Anti-tuberculosis therapy consists of using a specific regimen. Its basis are drugs: pyrazinamide, streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol. The doctor selects an effective combination of these medications individually. This takes into account the state of the person and his immunity.

The table shows daily doses of medications for people of different ages

If at the end of the course of treatment the desired result cannot be achieved, the combination of drugs is subject to adjustment. In addition, the methods of introducing drugs into the body are changing. At the end of treatment, examinations are carried out to determine the patient’s health status. If recovery does not occur, treatment is extended.

Photo 9. Ethambutol, an anti-tuberculosis drug, helps stop the proliferation of bacteria in the body.

Who is at risk?

The open form of tuberculosis is a dangerous disease. The risk of contracting this disease is high in the following categories of the population:

• children with a positive Mantoux test;
• people with weak immune systems;
• old people;
• medical workers, those who have contact with patients with open tuberculosis;
• people who live in unsanitary conditions;
• patients with chronic inflammatory, oncological, autoimmune diseases;
• people who use hormone therapy.

Photo 10. Adults who have reached retirement age are at risk of developing an open form of tuberculosis

The possibility of infection is influenced by the type of contact with the open form of tuberculosis and its duration. For example, a one-time meeting is not as dangerous as short but regular communications. Living in the same house with a person who suffers from an open form of tuberculosis is dangerous for health and life. The risk of infection is 90%.

In rare cases, the source of the disease is cattle. If an animal is sick, then the milk contains a bovine type of mycobacteria and if it gets into food, the infection is transmitted to humans. As a result, the disease passes into a closed or open form.

How dangerous is the open form of tuberculosis?

If a person has signs of an open form of tuberculosis, which is confirmed by an appropriate diagnosis, he acts as a source of release of bacilli into the environment. The probability of infection of a healthy person depends on the nature of contact with the carrier of the infection. In general, it is high and amounts to about 30%.

Tuberculosis is a serious disease that, in the absence of adequate treatment, develops into serious complications, and in some cases leads to death. In addition to the fact that the infection penetrates other organs and forms extrapulmonary foci, complications include: pleurisy, heart and pulmonary failure, meningitis, cirrhosis and others.

Open tuberculosis during pregnancy is dangerous. If primary signs are present or active disease progresses, the pregnancy must be terminated. This measure is forced and necessary, since with tuberculosis the fetus becomes infected, and its treatment is toxic. Even if treatment is successful, tissue damage in the areas of infection and the respiratory tract remains in the form of calcifications and scars. Advanced tuberculosis is the cause of limited ability to work, which leads to disability.

To exclude the possibility of contracting this dangerous disease, medical examinations are carried out every year, during which fluorography is a mandatory procedure. With its help, the disease is detected at the beginning of its development. Thanks to timely treatment, you can count on a full recovery in a short time.

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Closed and open forms of tuberculosis are types of the same lung disease, both forms are caused by the same pathogen - tuberculous mycobacteria. But at the same time, the symptoms of open and closed tuberculosis differ, diagnosis of the disease and treatment are carried out using different methods.

The closed form is considered less dangerous; the patient is a carrier of the infection, but is not contagious to others. However, if the symptoms of the closed form of tuberculosis are ignored and treatment is not carried out, the disease can easily develop into an open form. In the open form, the lungs are primarily affected, but other vital organs and systems can also be affected. In addition, such a patient is a spreader of infection. Therefore, it is important to know the difference between open and closed forms of tuberculosis, how to recognize the form of tuberculosis, and what are the features of treatment.

The open form usually develops in people who first encounter Koch's bacillus, the causative agent of tuberculosis. Koch's bacillus is transmitted primarily by airborne droplets. Much depends on immunity - a poor state of the immune system increases the risk of infection and the rapid development of the disease, even with short-term contact with a sick person. If the immunity is strong enough, then infection occurs only through prolonged and close contact.

At the initial stage of the disease, bacteria penetrate the lungs and form a small focus of inflammation at the site of entry. Over time, the lesion expands, the lung tissue changes, and caseosis forms - liquefaction of dead tissue. At the last stage of infection, this formation is saturated with calcium and becomes calcified. They are detected by X-ray examination of the chest organs. External symptoms may be completely absent, while a person already spreads mycobacteria when talking, coughing, sneezing, or spitting.

There is also a secondary or miliary form of the disease, which develops in previously infected people who have recovered from the disease. In this case, the disease is long-term, chronic, developing from several months to a year. This form of tuberculosis is called open miliary, since extensive damage to the internal organs of a person occurs. The disease debuts brightly, with all the characteristic symptoms of tuberculosis infection.

Symptoms of open tuberculosis

The open form of tuberculosis is characterized by:

1. Severe cough, often producing sputum, that lasts more than 3 weeks.
2. Loss of appetite, which leads to a noticeable loss of body weight.
3. Night sweats.
4. Fatigue, general weakness, as the human body suffers from constant intoxication.
5. Increased body temperature, pain in the chest, pain in the joints at an advanced stage.

– the main symptom that characterizes the open form of the disease, and which is not observed in the closed version of the infection. Any of these symptoms is grounds to immediately consult a TB doctor and undergo a full examination.

How is it dangerous for others, how is it transmitted?

The source of infection is the sputum of an infected person, which is dispersed when talking, coughing, or sneezing. The infection is also transmitted:

• through kisses, if there is damage to the oral mucosa;
• through household and hygiene items;
• through medical instruments and spittoons.

Mycobacteria are highly resistant in the external environment and are especially well preserved in cold, unheated and unventilated areas. Therefore, the place where patients are permanently located should be ventilated and cleaned daily using antiseptics. And all things, hygiene items and utensils must be thoroughly disinfected or destroyed after use.

This disease is extremely dangerous for the patient himself. In cases where mycobacteria is released into the blood, the infection quickly spreads along with the blood and lymph flow, and organs and systems can be affected - bones, skin, brain tissue, spleen, kidneys, intestines.

How is open tuberculosis diagnosed?

To obtain the most reliable result, the following diagnostic methods are used:

X-ray or fluorography;
to collect a piece of tissue for further research in the laboratory;
;
blood chemistry.

After the examination, the doctor prescribes a course of drug therapy; the treatment regimen usually includes a combination of 4-5 drugs. During treatment, the patient is placed in a tuberculosis clinic; the duration of the minimum course, provided that the infection has not spread beyond the lungs, is 6 months.

What is closed tuberculosis

The closed form of the disease develops if the person’s immunity was strong enough at the time of the encounter with the pathogen and managed to suppress them. In this case, the pathogens are partially eliminated from the body along with decay products, but some of them remain and are in a dormant state. Asymptomatic carriage can last for years or even decades. Sometimes a person does not even suspect that he has been infected and lives happily with latent tuberculosis all his life.

Can the closed form of tuberculosis develop into an open form?

Yes, in 10% of cases, infected people fall ill after some time, when factors favorable for the development of tuberculosis coincide. The trigger may be another infectious disease, injury, surgery, weakened immunity associated with age, pregnancy, poor nutrition or vitamin deficiency.

Other factors that provoke the transition of tuberculosis from latent to active stage:

• smoking, drug addiction, alcoholism;
• HIV infection;
• stress, working in poor conditions.

Repeated contact with a person suffering from the disease in the active stage can also provoke active growth of pathogen colonies in the human body.

Symptoms of closed tuberculosis

As a rule, there are no obvious symptoms. In very rare cases, the patient complains of general weakness and chest pain. Neither sputum examination nor radiographs indicate the presence of Koch's bacillus in the body.

How is it dangerous for others, is it possible to become infected with it?

The closed form is not dangerous; it is impossible to become infected through contact with such a tuberculosis patient, since there is no main danger - bacterial excretion. But the closed form of pathology can be called a time bomb. The development of an active infection is facilitated by both external and internal factors listed above.

How is closed tuberculosis diagnosed?

There are several ways to determine the open and closed forms of tuberculosis, the most reliable and accessible are the Mantoux or Diaskintest tuberculin tests. Unfortunately, these methods are not 100% reliable. New diagnostic methods - PCR, quantiferon test - can detect the pathogen even in an inactive stage

Similarities and differences between open and closed tuberculosis

So, the main differences are as follows:

• the closed form is not dangerous to others;
• with it, characteristic symptoms (cough, hemoptysis, fever) are often absent;
• with the open form, hemoptysis and bacterial excretion are always noted;
• the closed form is not detected by fluorography and bacteriological examination of sputum.

The main similarity is that both forms are equally dangerous for an infected person, since the closed version easily turns into open, and vice versa. This process can be repeated several times throughout life; immunity to tuberculosis is not developed.

Patients with a closed form do not pose any threat to others. While an open one is extremely dangerous - the infection is transmitted even through short-term contact; such a patient can infect up to fifty people in one day. If tuberculosis treatment is carried out correctly and consistently, the open form becomes closed. That is, foci of infection are encapsulated, and the inflammatory process stops. But the reverse process is also possible: if people at risk do not adhere to the doctor’s recommendations, foci of infection become more active and the disease enters the active stage.

Tuberculosis is a very terrible disease that can have an open and closed form. The first case is the most dangerous, because bacterial secretions (sputum, saliva, etc.) contain tuberculosis microbes, and this is detected during bacteriological studies (culture). What is the risk of contracting tuberculosis in the open form?

Open form features

Bacterial discharge is characteristic of any type of disease when the lungs, lymph nodes, organs of the genitourinary system, and gastrointestinal tract are infected. The presence of bacterial secretions in saliva is the most important indicator of infectious danger for patients, because it comes from people who release microbes into the air.

Today, laboratory tests have insufficient capacity, so mycobacteria are not detected in culture in many people infected with tuberculosis. Thus, people are officially considered non-infectious, but at the same time they pose a serious threat to the surrounding society. This is why medicine cannot guarantee 100% protection for people who have constant contact with infected people. There is a 30% chance that a person will develop active disease.

Symptoms of infection

Throughout the year, after you have stopped contacting infected people, you must definitely monitor them, which require visiting a tuberculosis dispensary for examinations (lung fluorography). The main open forms of tuberculosis:

• Prolonged causeless decrease in total weight;
• prolonged dry cough (more than 20 days);
• constant (up to 37-38°);
• inflammation and swelling of the lymph nodes;
• general lethargy and malaise of the body;
• the appearance of pain in the sternum;

You definitely need to undergo examination at a tuberculosis dispensary in the following situations:

• After prolonged contact with infected people;
• in your immediate environment there are people who have had tuberculosis (there is a high risk of genetic susceptibility to infection);
• in case of decreased immunity;
• long-term use of hormones, cytostatic medications;
• bad habits, chronic stress.

Tuberculosis infection

In case of contact with bacteria-releasing agents or contaminated things, there is a high risk of infection of healthy people - this is influenced by the strength of the pathogens and the susceptibility of human organisms. According to statistics, one bacterial excretor can infect up to 10 people over the course of a year.

How can you become infected with open tuberculosis:

• Short-term contacts with patients who have abundant bacterial excretion;
• prolonged contact with infected people (living together, working, studying);
• close bodily contact with bacteria excretors.

When infected, clinically significant disease may develop. The average person has a 10% chance of becoming infected. The risk of infection is influenced by the functioning of the immune system, and the likelihood increases in the following conditions:

• The first 5 years after complete recovery;
• puberty in adolescents;
• re-infection;
• presence of immunodeficiency viruses;
• concomitant infections and diseases (insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus);
• taking glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants.

Methods of infection

Tuberculosis infections are most dangerous in the case of an open form (excretion of mycobacteria by patients). Often, germs spread in families or regular groups. The risk of spreading bacteria is greatly reduced if patients are identified and isolated in a timely manner. The places where microbes enter organisms play an important role.

How is tuberculosis transmitted in the open form:

• Airborne spread;
• entry into the digestive tract through food;
• in case of close bodily contact;
• inside the womb from mother to child.

Spread through the air

Bacteria are released into the surrounding atmosphere in the form of droplets during coughing, sneezing and talking with patients. When inhaling, microbes penetrate into the lungs of a healthy interlocutor. Based on the strength of the cough and the volume of bacterial droplets, they can spread over different distances: during a cough - 2 meters, during a sneeze - 9 meters. Typically, sputum is dispersed within a radius of 100 cm near the bacterial excretor.

Drops of tuberculosis bacteria settle on the ground and, when dry, turn into microdust. In this case, the microbes are viable for about 3 weeks. In the event of strong gusts of wind, sweeping dust and people moving, microparticles containing tuberculosis bacteria rise upward, penetrating the lungs and infecting healthy people.

Infection in the esophagus

According to the results of laboratory studies, for infection in the digestive tract, much more mycobacteria are needed than with the airborne droplet method. Thus, by inhaling contaminated air, you can become infected with one or two microbes, and by eating food - more than a hundred.

The peculiarities of the spread of Koch bacilli in the case of the alimentary route of infection are demonstratively shown on the basis of data from the trial in Lübeck, which were published in many information sources. Then, by an absurd accident, more than 250 infants were orally administered not BCG, but a tuberculosis culture (Kiel strains) for vaccination. Because of this infection, 70 children died, 130 children became ill but were cured, and 55 were not infected. An autopsy of 20 dead infants showed that in almost all cases the inflammatory processes were localized in the digestive tract.

The main feature of this method of infection is that mesenteric lymph nodes are often affected by tuberculosis. Note that tuberculosis microbes also enter the gastrointestinal tract due to ingestion of their own secretions (in pulmonary tuberculosis), which is officially confirmed by flotation of liquid after gastric lavage.

Infection due to skin-to-skin contact

Koch's wand in an enlarged size.

In medicine, cases of human infection with tuberculosis through the connective membrane of the eye have been recorded. Patients often develop acute conjunctivitis or inflammation of the lacrimal sacs. Situations where healthy people become infected due to close bodily contact with the skin of an infected person are extremely rare. There have been isolated situations where people became infected with tuberculosis through contact of damaged hand skin with sick animals (in particular, milkmaids and cows).

Intrauterine infection

In medicine, cases of infection of a child from a sick mother have been officially registered. This was determined after the death of infants within 5 days after birth and autopsy of their corpses. According to doctors, infection occurs through the placenta from a sick mother or through direct contact of damaged areas of the placenta with an infected obstetrician during childbirth. This method of infection is the rarest.

Precautionary measures

Many people think about the open form of tuberculosis. The answer is clear: it can be treated, but only in. But doctors recommend following certain requirements in order to eliminate the risk of contracting tuberculosis, because any therapy is a strong stress for the body, especially with long-term treatment.

To reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with tuberculosis after contact with patients, it is recommended to adhere to the following requirements:

• It is necessary to exclude smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
• your daily diet should include at least 150 grams of products containing animal fats (meat and dairy products, fish, eggs, etc.);
• be sure to take a sufficient amount of vitamin complexes;
• It is undesirable to supplement your diet with products of synthetic origin (chips, crackers, fast food);
• you need to walk outside as much as possible, move as much as possible and stick to
• Close contact with infected people should be avoided;
• It is important to regularly visit the clinic for preventive examinations (do fluorography of the lungs).

One of the most common infections in our modern world is tuberculosis. The causative agent of this pathology is. Its danger lies in the fact that it can be infected through airborne droplets, that is, through normal contact with a person. A sick person is especially dangerous for others if the pathology occurs in an open form, since a large number of mycobacteria are released along with his sputum. The open form of tuberculosis is especially dangerous for people with low immunity.

The concept of open tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, in which there is a constant release of mycobacteria into the external environment, is called open. This form of the disease is transmitted after contact with an infected person in just a few minutes. Therefore, patients with bacterial excretion are subject to immediate hospitalization. Bacterial shedding is the process-confirmed release of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the environment by a patient.

Treatment of patients with open form of tuberculosis takes place strictly, since bacteria spread without much difficulty when a person coughs.

The main danger of open tuberculosis

The main feature and danger is that in the open form, mycobacteria are constantly released and, accordingly, other people are constantly becoming infected. The incubation period of tuberculosis lasts 2-3 months. Only after this time have passed the first symptoms of the open form of the disease begin to appear.

Why is it possible to lengthen the incubation period?

But there may be another situation when the incubation period lasts much longer. A person can be infected with Koch's bacillus for several years, and there will be no signs of illness, but upon contact with an infected person, tuberculosis intoxication will appear. After this, the open form of pulmonary tuberculosis will begin.

Open tuberculosis primary and secondary

The open form of pulmonary tuberculosis is divided into 2 types:

• primary;
• secondary.

The primary type occurs in people who have not been in contact with an infected person. In this case, there will be inflammation of the lungs, which is mild, and then a focus is formed, which degenerates into a caseous node with the presence of fibrous tissue.
Secondary type - also called. It is typical for people who have already suffered from this disease. In this case, a person already has a primary lesion that has healed, but when exposed to certain factors, it becomes inflamed and breaks out again, and mycobacteria begin to circulate throughout the body. The lungs with secondary tuberculosis acquire a structure similar to millet grains (hence the name “miliary”), this is clearly visible on x-rays.

Symptoms of open tuberculosis

Symptoms of open and closed forms of the disease differ significantly.

Important! The open form of tuberculosis and its symptoms do not appear at all at first.

A cough is always a dry type, then it changes to a wet one. This cough continues in a person for 3 weeks or more. It is a wet cough that is most dangerous, since it produces sputum that contains mycobacteria.
Gradually, over time, a person may notice blood in the sputum, which is already an alarming symptom. Additionally, there are other common signs of open tuberculosis, for example, rapid weight loss, appetite disorders, decreased performance and general weakness.

In addition, the open form is characterized by a regular increase, especially in the evenings.
If a person’s secondary open tuberculosis progresses, then high body temperatures are recorded - up to 39 degrees. Also common symptoms of open tuberculosis are increased sweating at night, and there is also:

• pain in the joints;
• pale skin;
• The cough becomes more active in the morning and at night.

Tubintoxication

It manifests itself as general malaise, lethargy, a moderate increase in body temperature and pain in the joints. If there is a Koch bacillus in a person’s body, then intoxication will appear after stress or due to other factors that weaken the immune system. Tuberculosis intoxication occurs as an allergic reaction to the pathogen.

As the disease develops, disorders of other organs and systems appear. The most common lesion is the gastrointestinal tract.

Infection

Mycobacteria, entering the air, settle on various objects and surfaces, can retain their vitality for a very long time in unfavorable conditions, and after that they are able to re-enter the body and develop pathologically, therefore the open form of tuberculosis is very aggressive.

From person to person

It's no secret that open tuberculosis is most often transmitted directly through person-to-person contact. We can conclude that if a person with an open form of pathology has been indoors for a long time, then the air and objects located there are contaminated and dangerous to others.

Infection can occur through utensils, for example, in public catering establishments. Bacteria can also be found in places where there is a constant flow of people - public transport, train stations, shopping centers, hospitals and clinics, etc.

Another route of infection is through skin damage: cuts and wounds, through which bacteria enter the body.

From animal to human

It is very rare for humans to become infected from cattle. How is tuberculosis transmitted in this case? Through milk. Such infection can manifest itself for a person in both open and closed forms of the disease, while the incubation period of tuberculosis will be shorter.

Doctors note that it is highly likely that you can become infected after prolonged close contact with a patient, and if meetings are regular but not long, then this is not so dangerous.

More susceptible to infection than others

• people with autoimmune diseases (for example, HIV infection);
• elderly people and children;
• patients with reduced immunity;
• population living in poor social and living conditions;
• patients who regularly take hormonal therapy;
• people with peptic ulcer disease.

There is also a risk of infection among medical workers who are constantly in contact with infected patients, especially TB doctors.

Diagnostics

Symptoms of the open form of tuberculosis are not only clearly expressed clinically, but also have laboratory and radiological signs.

Traditional methods

The main diagnostic method is x-ray. This is a quick and accessible study. In this case, the focus will be visible, which is darkened in the image, there will also be cavities of different sizes and an intensification of the pattern of the lung tissue.
Studies conducted directly on humans include the Mantoux test, in which tuberculin is injected subcutaneously. If the papule increases by 0.5 cm after injection, this means that an infection has occurred. However, this is true provided that a year ago the Mantoux test showed a negative result.

Important! Today it has been proven that such research often gives false results.

Modern methods of diagnosing tuberculosis

The modern method would be a sputum or blood test. This method is much more accurate.
Sometimes the patient is prescribed a computed tomography scan to accurately confirm the diagnosis.
Phthisiatricians recommend seeking medical help if a person has been in contact with a patient for a long time. Also, those whose close relatives are infected should be regularly examined; this is also due to genetic predisposition. A person should be examined if he or she has reduced immunity due to various diseases. You should immediately consult a doctor if a child or teenager has had contact with a sick person.

Treatment of open tuberculosis

The open form of tuberculosis is a dangerous disease, so treatment must take place in a hospital setting. Tuberculosis can be treated, but individual therapy is selected for each patient. It always includes . Typically, antibacterial therapy includes 4 components. This is important, since Koch's bacillus often shows resistance to drugs. Treatment continues for 3-6 months.
After properly selected treatment, the disease becomes a closed form, and the person is no longer contagious.

How to prolong remission

In order for remission to continue, you need to carefully follow your doctor’s instructions and take medications that are selected and combined only by your doctor. Additionally, you need to undergo regular tests to monitor your condition.
In addition, the patient needs maintenance therapy, since long-term use of antibiotics has a negative impact on the body. And after the main therapy, the patient recovers for a long time. When treating adults with open form of tuberculosis, sorbents are prescribed, which help increase the body's resistance and other drugs. It is necessary to use anti-inflammatory drugs, and if the first signs of the disease are already visible in adults, with complex therapy.
Be sure to take multivitamins. This is important both for those who have been treated for open tuberculosis and for other people for prevention.

Prognosis for open tuberculosis

With open tuberculosis, doctors give positive prognoses, but only if the diagnosis is made on time and the correct therapy is prescribed. People with this form of the disease live long if they lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. Be sure to take prescribed medications regularly. Mortality among tuberculosis patients is caused precisely by non-compliance with these conditions.
Statistics show that if tuberculosis is not treated, a person will live no more than 5-6 years.