Understanding Medicine: Tuberculosis

-

 


TUBERCULOSIS

Tuberculosis (TB) or also known as mycobacterium tuberculosis is a type of mycobacteria that commonly infects the lungs however also can infects any other part of the body includes glands.nervous system and bones. About 2 billion people around the world infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis where 90-95% of them are unaware they were infected.

Tuberulosis can be divided into two types which are latent TB infection and active TB infection. What makes them different ? Latent TB is when someone infected by TB but their immune system are unable to kill the bacteria but only can stop the bacteria from infecting other parts of body. In latent TB, patient will not experience any symptoms but the bacteria itself remain in the body. Meanwhile in some cases in debilitated patient, for example they might suffer from AIDS,old patients or patient with any immune system disorder, immune cells in the body are unable to kill the bacteria which will cause the patient to have potential to infect other people around. In active TB infection, the bacteria can spread to other part of patient’s body and patients themselves will develop symptoms.

Common symptoms in patients with TB infection includes a persistent cough, weight loss, loss of apetite,tiredness and fatigue,night sweats as well as high temperature of body. These are symptoms when the bacteria only infects the lungs which also known as Pulmonary TB. In some cases where the bacteria begin to spread to other part of the body, this circumstance is known as extrapulmonary TB. Common symptoms includes persistence headache, persistence swollen glands, confusion and pain and loss of movement in an affected bone or joint.

Now, who are the vulnerable group that we should protect more ? They are those who have close contact to TB patient, live in country with high cases of TB infection, patients that suffer immune system disorder (e.g: AIDS,SLE etc), children, senior citizens and those with poor health or poor diet due to lifestyle problems such as drug misuse and alcohol misuse.

How do GP diagnose TB ? The diagnosis might be a little bit difficult and patient may required to undergo a few tests. Your GP usually will ask you to undergo X-ray scan of your chest to identify any changes of your chest appearance from normal one. Sampe of phlegm will be taken to test the presence of TB bacteria in laboratory. Patient that is suspected to suffer extrapulmonary TB will be required to undergo CT scan, MRI scan or ultrasound scan to the specific part of body. Your GP may need your urine or blood test or you might undergo biopsy where a sampe of tissue from the infected part of the body will be taken to be examined.

If patient are confrimly diagnosed with TB infection, they will be prescribed an antibiotics that last for several months where hospital admission is not necessary. If diagnosed with TB, we are advised to isolate ourself from other people including family and friends, always put on your face mask, dispose any tissue that you use carefully in sealed plastic bag and open windows for better fresh air supply in your house. Finally we are advised to take BCG vaccine in order to prevent TB infection.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pengalaman Temuduga Program Doktor Perubatan Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

-
Image
  Pengalaman Temu Duga Program Doktor Perubatan UNIMAS Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan UNIMAS Alhamdulillah aku dapat panggilan interview medic di unimas ambilan 2022/2023 pada minggu lepas. Semuanya berjalan dengan lancar dan dapat menimba pengalaman ditemu duga juga. InshaAllah kena yakin pada rezeki dan ketentuan Allah. Kalau ada rezeki alhamdulillah kalau tak ada, ada yang lebih baik bagi aku. Interview mula pukul 8.00 am, jadi aku sampai ke Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS) awal pukul 7.15 am. Nampak ada beberapa orang calon dah mula menunggu dengan pakaian yang segak dan cantik semuanya. Pukul 8.00 am pintu Atrium dibuka dan aku mula daftar kepada urusetia. Kami dikuarantin terlebih dahulu di bilik kuliah sementara tunggu jam 8.50 am untuk sesi interview mula. Interview kami dijalankan secara Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) di mana ada 5 station dan di setiap station ada interviewer yang bebeza. Interview pula bukan calang-calang, mereka adalah doktor pakar da...
Read more
-
Image
CERVICAL CANCER Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among Malaysian women after breast and colorectal cancer being the first and second respectively. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in low- and middle-income countries. This reflects major inequities driven by lack of access to national HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment services and social and economic determinants. Cervical cancer begins from uncontrolled cell growth in the cervix. A cervix is an organ located at the opening of the uterus (womb) and connects it to the vagina. In Malay, we call it 'pangkal rahim'. The cervix has two main parts: ectocervix and endocervix. These two zones are lined by different types of cells. Ectocervix is lined by non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium while the endocervix is lined by simple columnar epithelium.  Between ectocervix and endocervix, there is a region known as a transf...
Read more

UNIMAS YEAR 1 MEDICAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (PENGALAMAN PELAJAR PROGRAM DOKTOR PERUBATAN TAHUN 1 UNIMAS)

-
Image
  PELAJAR TAHUN 1 PROGRAM PERUBATAN UNIMAS   Alhamdulilllah, segala puji ke hadrat Allah SWT kerana dengan izinNya aku berjaya menamatkan pengajian tahun pertama sekolah perubatan UNIMAS. Pejam celik aku menempuh sukarnya menimba ilmu dan merasakan beratnya tanggungjawab sebagai seorang doktor kian terasa. Jadi, dalam penulisan kali ini aku nak kongsi serba sedikit pengalaman belajar perubatan di UNIMAS dan harapnya dapat membantu mana-mana pelajar yang terdetik niat untuk belajar di sini sekurang-kurangnya dapat sedikit pendedahan awal ya. Pertama sekali, UNIMAS medical school ada total lima tahun pengajian. Some countries might have up to six or even seven years of medical degree. Di UNIMAS, tahun pertama dan kedua ialah fasa pra-klinikal di mana para pelajar akan didedahkan kepada basic medical knowledge dan amat penting sebab akan diguna semasa clinical years nanti. Semasa pra-klinikal ini, student belum pergi ke hospital dahulu, hanya belajar di fakulti untuk sesi p...
Read more