Level of danger and possibility of cure of pulmonary tuberculosis

The article was professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Xuan Cuong - Emergency Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 14 years of experience in the field of emergency resuscitation and poison control.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that spreads through the air. When infected with pulmonary tuberculosis, the bacteria can spread from the lungs to other organs, endangering the patient's health.

The disease can spread quickly and widely. People with latent TB are not contagious and don't have symptoms because their immune systems are protecting their bodies from the bacteria's attack. But this situation will not last long, latent pulmonary tuberculosis will develop into active TB with active symptoms and spread to the surrounding environment to others.
Because it is an infectious disease, it is easy to spread to a large area, difficult to control the spread, even with careful prevention, healthy people can still spread tuberculosis from sick people through contact with one or more patients. many times. Tuberculosis bacteria enter the body through the respiratory tract and develop infectious disease, damaging the lungs and respiratory system, causing danger to the patient if prolonged and not properly treated. The best way to prevent this disease is to get vaccinated from the first month of birth.

Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis need to be diagnosed and prescribed treatment at hospitals, respiratory and tuberculosis specialists to have the most accurate treatment. The combination of anti-tuberculosis drugs at the right dose, regularly and for a full time will bring about objective treatment effects.
In order to properly determine the status of pulmonary tuberculosis, the patient must perform a sputum test 3 times at different times. In which, the time after the 2nd or 3rd month of the offensive phase of treatment, followed by the 5th and 8th month of the maintenance treatment phase.
The treatment and cure of pulmonary tuberculosis is a long process, maintaining the treatment course. After a few weeks of anti-tuberculosis treatment, the patient will improve with feeling better, eat better, and gradually reduce all previous symptoms. However, the course of treatment must continue to be maintained for a full 8 months. In case if you quit treatment for 8 months, the disease will not be cured and the situation of pulmonary TB becomes even more dangerous because TB bacteria will become drug resistant and grow stronger. Later, if you want to continue treatment, it will be very difficult and the probability of success is not high.

Depending on the medical condition, the doctor will prescribe the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis with drugs for 6 months or longer for the best results. In addition, to treat pulmonary tuberculosis, doctors can also perform surgery.
Surgical treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis aims to remove all existing TB foci in the lungs, causing lung compression to facilitate the collapse of the tuberculosis caverns, healing of scars caused by TB bacteria in the lungs, and surgical procedures. drainage such as pleural drainage, TB cavernous drainage, TB cavernostomy, pulmonary rehabilitation...
All operations to treat pulmonary tuberculosis are evaluated as major surgery, easily leading to death or complications. surgery, if not well prepared. Therefore, to come to the decision to have surgery for tuberculosis, all patients have undergone a long course of drug treatment but have not had positive results.
After surgery to treat pulmonary tuberculosis, patients may experience complications such as respiratory failure, cardiovascular disorders, secondary shock, bleeding... the most dangerous is bleeding due to fibrinolysis, infection match...

Patients should be detected early and strictly adhere to an effective drug treatment regimen. Advice for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis during treatment is:
Adhere to the treatment course, take medicine regularly, continue treatment for 8 months, the disease can be completely cured. time to be adjusted treatment by a doctor If you see any side effects of TB medicine such as blurred vision, dizziness, jaundice, yellow eyes, you need to see your doctor to stop or adjust the medicine Do not smoke, Drinking alcohol during treatment No need to go on a diet, except for TB patients who have diabetes. It is necessary to test sputum 3 times in 8 months of treatment to know the effectiveness of treatment Besides, TB patients need to prevent infection. Infecting people around you by:
Cover your mouth and turn your face to the other side when coughing and sneezing. Do not spit up phlegm indiscriminately, you need to spit on paper, then wrap it up and burn it. If possible, sleep in a separate room. have good ventilation Advise family members to see a doctor to see if they are infected