Definition
Tuberculosis is an infectious and contagious disease caused by a bacillus, responsible above all for lung damage; however, the disease can affect lymph nodes, meninges, urogenital system and skeleton. A re-infection of tuberculosis is possible after a few years, caused in most cases by previous outbreaks.
Causes
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, transmitted via infected micro-droplets of saliva. It is good to remember that often the immune system is able to eradicate the infection as soon as the bacillus comes into contact with the body.
Symptoms
Cough is definitely the symptom that characterizes tuberculosis: a cough that lasts even three weeks, accompanied by the emission of blood. In turn, the cough is responsible for an annoying chest pain. The secondary symptoms are variable according to the site of infection and often associated with a decrease in weight, fever and sweating. Also possible manifestation of asthenia, chills, swollen lymph nodes and splenomegaly.
Information on Tuberculosis - Drugs for the Treatment of Tuberculosis is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Tuberculosis - Tuberculosis Drugs.
drugs
The pharmacological treatment of tuberculosis is quite complex; to simplify understanding, the following is a simplification scheme, divided into two phases.
- Initial phase: administration of 4 targeted and precise drugs (pharmacological combinations), useful both to reduce the bacterial load in a timely manner and to prevent the formation of resistant parasites. The pharmacological treatment must be carried out as soon as possible after the first symptoms appear, clearly after a diagnostic assessment. The duration of therapy in this first phase is around 2 months.
- Maintenance phase: use of 2 drugs to which the bacilli must be completely sensitive. The disease is more complicated from a therapeutic point of view when the bacillus infects extra-pulmonary areas. The treatment should be continued for 4-6 months; in case of tuberculosis involving the meninges, it is recommended to continue the treatment for a longer period.
A preventive treatment of chemoprophylaxis is essential to avoid the worsening of tuberculosis from the latent phase to the fearsome active phase: in this sense, the TB isoniazid is particularly indicated, especially in patients with AIDS and infants. The treatment should be continued for 9 months. Chemoprophylaxis therapy should be performed in patients with previous untreated tuberculosis, especially when immunocompromised.
Drugs used in the first phase of tuberculosis : pharmacological treatment requires medical supervision, particularly for those patients with obvious difficulties in coping with therapy. The medicines listed below must be administered 3 times a week for 2 months. There are also already dosed drug combinations: consult your doctor.
- Ethambutol (eg Etambu, Etapiam) the recommended dose is 30 mg / kg, three times a week. The drug can also be omitted if the risk of drug resistance is low. Alternatively, take streptomycin (eg Strept S FN). Do not take streptomycin during pregnancy.
- Isoniazid (eg Isoniazi FN, Rifater, Rimcure) take 15 mg / kg for adults and children, three times a week. Do not administer more than 900 mg of the drug.
- Rifampicin (eg Rifampic) it is recommended to take 10 mg / kg of drug per day orally or intravenously. Alternatively, take 15 mg / kg of drug three times a week. Do not exceed 600 mg.
- Pyrazinamide (eg Piraldina) if the patient weighs less than 50 kg, administer 2 grams of the drug three times a week. If the weight exceeds 50 kg, it is recommended to take the drug at a dose of 2.5 g three times a week.
Drugs used in the second phase of tuberculosis:
Isoniazid and Rifampicin should be taken for 4-6 months, three times a week, in full compliance with what is prescribed by the doctor.
The posology described above is an example: the doctor can change the dosage according to the response to patient care. However, if a therapeutic procedure is initiated, it is advisable not to interrupt it until the end of the therapy, even in the case of improvement / remission of symptoms.
In tuberculosis involving meninges or pericardium, it is necessary to start therapy with a corticosteroid (eg dexamethasone: Decadron, Soldesam) in association with anti-tuberculosis treatment.
Vaccination
The vaccination against tuberculosis prophylaxis (BCG vaccines, Calmette-Guérin bacillus) is useful to promote a certain sensitivity towards the tuberculosis bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Vaccination is a preventive measure of tuberculosis, the indication of which is limited to particular situations. Consult your doctor.
