TB
This chronic bacterial infection, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affects the lungs but can spread to nearly any organ in the body.
What is tuberculosis (TB)?
This occurs when alveoli fill with fluid and immune cells, reducing gas exchange.
What is alveolar consolidation?
When TB bacilli are contained but remain inactive within a tubercle, the person is said to have this non-contagious form of the disease.
What is latent TB?
This nighttime symptom is a hallmark of active tuberculosis and often soaks clothing or bedding.
What are night sweats?
If the infection is controlled, the Ghon complex may undergo this process and appear as a small spot on a chest X-ray.
What is calcification?
This is the only vaccine currently available for tuberculosis prevention.
What is the BCG vaccine (Bacille Calmette-Guérin)?
This stage of TB refers to the reactivation of a dormant infection, usually occurring in adults with weakened immunity.
What is reactivation TB?
This term refers to coughing up blood and can be categorized as frank or non-frank in TB patients.
What is hemoptysis?
Despite needing oxygen to grow, TB bacilli can spread through these two systems, which do not rely on oxygen.
What are the bloodstream (hematogenous spread) and the lymphatic system?
This chest wall vibration is increased in TB over areas of lung consolidation.
What is tactile and vocal fremitus?
When percussing a lung affected by TB, this type of sound is typically heard due to consolidation.
What is a dull percussion note?
In the AFB test, TB bacilli retain this color dye even after being washed with acid-alcohol.
What is red?
In the primary stage of TB, the immune system forms this structure, made of macrophages, T cells, and fibrous tissue, to contain the infection.
What is a granuloma or tubercle?
This condition, caused by chronic inflammation in TB, leads to the permanent widening and damage of the bronchi.
What is bronchiectasis?
This type of harsh, hollow breath sound is heard over consolidated areas in TB.
What are bronchial breath sounds?
This immune cell plays a major role in trying to engulf and destroy TB bacilli during the early infection, though the bacteria often survive due to their waxy capsule.
What is a macrophage?
This auscultation finding, often heard in TB, is a high-pitched grating sound when the pleura is inflamed.
What is a pleural friction rub?
This specialized hospital room, formerly known as a negative pressure isolation room, is used to prevent the spread of airborne infections like TB.
What is an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR)?
The presence of a calcified Ghon complex on an X-ray indicates this about a patient’s TB history.
What is past TB exposure or healed primary TB?
Name two extrapulmonary sites where TB bacilli may multiply due to relatively high oxygen levels.
What are the kidneys and the brain/meninges?
This structure forms in primary TB and includes a Ghon focus plus involvement of regional lymph nodes.
What is the Ghon complex?
This blood test measures the immune response to TB-specific antigens and is not affected by prior BCG vaccination.
What is the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) test?
TB bacilli travel through the bloodstream and only begin multiplying when they reach a site with this characteristic.
What is sufficient oxygen tension (or high oxygen levels)?
This class of medications is used to kill or inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
What are antibiotics?
In TB, this phenomenon occurs when whispered words are clearly heard through a stethoscope over consolidated lung tissue.
What is whispered pectoriloquy?
This skin test measures the immune system's response to PPD but cannot distinguish between active and latent TB.
What is the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST)?
This is the gold standard test for confirming active TB, but it takes several weeks to produce results.
What is the AFB (acid-fast bacilli) sputum culture?
TB damages this thin membrane, impairing oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between the lungs and blood.
What is the alveolar-capillary membrane?
In the Mantoux test, an induration (swelling) size of 10 mm or greater is considered this.
What is a positive result?
Name any two of the four drugs used in the induction phase of the 6-month TB protocol.
What are Isoniazid (INH) and Rifampin (RIF)?
Because of the BCG vaccine, patients may show this test result even if they do not have active TB.
What is a false positive PPD (tuberculin skin test)?
To improve accuracy, sputum cultures for TB are collected at this time of day, over how many days?
What is early morning on three consecutive days?
This technique uses hypertonic saline to help TB patients produce sputum when they cannot cough it up naturally.
What is sputum induction?
Because of its waxy coating, M. tuberculosis does not stain with this common method used for most bacteria
What is the Gram stain?
These environmental mycobacteria can mimic TB symptoms but are not caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium leprae.
What are non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)?
This form of TB requires staying home and isolation during the contagious phase, typically the first 2–3 weeks of treatment.
What is active TB?