Culture And Disease: Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Culture and Disease Paper: Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Introduction to Health and Disease/HCS 245

July 28, 2013

Professor

Culture and Disease Paper: Pulmonary Tuberculosis Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. It is considered a challenging disease to diagnose, treat, and control. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is usually referred to as TB. If it is not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal. In the United States, tuberculosis is most common in African Americans. According to the CDC (2013), “In 2011, TB disease was reported in 1533 non-Hispanic blacks in the United States, accounting for
In the health care setting, hospitals have a TB infection control plan as part of their general infection control program designed to ensure prompt detection of infectious patients, airborne precautions, and treatment for those who are suspected or diagnosed with tuberculosis. The first priority would be to limit the amount of people that could be exposed to the infected person. The next step would be to place the infected person into a negative pressure room, allowing to control the environment for which the infected person is kept. The next step would be to use personal protective equipment that protects the respiratory tract from the airborne droplets. This is determined by a fit test and is very important to make sure the health care workers understand how to properly run any equipment that might be involved. In a home setting, it is important to stay home so others are not infected, ventilate the room, wear a mask, and cover the mouth when sneezing, coughing, or speaking. It is best to be alone until medication has been started and a medical provider says it is acceptable to be around other individuals (CDC,
DOTS stands for Directly Observed Treatment, Short-coursed. This approach includes five components and remains at the heart of their Stop TB Strategy. The first component is ensuring political commitment with adequate funding. As the first step this is essential for the amount of resources that would need to be involved. This process will take manpower and funding. The second component includes case detection using bacteriology for diagnosis. This element also requires a strengthened laboratory network. An important aspect of this component would include properly trained individuals capable of following strict guidelines. The third component covers standardized treatment across the country that is supervised and patient support. This component is very important because the direct observation of therapy helps prevent drug resistance. The fourth component is making sure there is a supply of the effective drugs readily available for treatment options. This element also includes that all drugs used to treat tuberculosis will be given at no charge to the infected TB patient. The fifth and last component is monitoring and evaluating the system. Establishing reliable communication is key in this project. This step would also include the tuberculosis planning and budgeting tool, reporting