Focal pulmonary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis affects representatives of disadvantaged groups of society - poor, homeless, prison inmates. Therefore, the diagnosis of focal pulmonary tuberculosis for an ordinary person sounds like a verdict. In fact, one of the factors in the development of the disease can be banal low immunity, or stress. That's why each of us needs to do fluorography at least once every two years. This will identify focal tuberculosis in the early stages, when the disease can be completely cured even without hospitalization.

Is or not focal pulmonary tuberculosis?

The focal form of tuberculosis in most cases is asymptomatic and it is possible to detect the disease only with the help of X-ray examination. Very rarely, the following symptoms may appear:

• increased sweating ;
• drowsiness, fatigue;
• change in body temperature on an ongoing basis;
• sensation of chill, while cheeks and palms can, on the contrary, "burn";
• slight pain in the side or muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Any of these symptoms is an occasion to do a fluorography . Tuberculosis of the focal shape affects the tops of the lungs, the photos will show spots up to 1 cm in diameter. If the diagnosis is confirmed, CT and additional cytological tests will be required to determine if focal pulmonary tuberculosis is contagious in this case. The fact is that the causative agent of the disease, MBT (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), can spread through physiological fluids by airborne droplets, or do not enter the infiltration at all. In the first case, the patient will be bacilli, in the second case - no. Accordingly, outpatient treatment in a specialized medical institution may be required, or it may be necessary to drink a course of medication at home to recover.

Features of treatment of focal pulmonary tuberculosis

It does not matter whether inpatient treatment is carried out or outpatiently. In both cases, the patient will be assigned several types of antibiotics, which will be selected individually, based on cytological studies. In the event that the outbreaks are secondary and there were large scars of fibrous tissue, they can be removed by surgery. After that, chemotherapy is usually performed. At the initial stage, the patient takes 4 drugs for 2 months, then another 4 of them drink 4 more months. Complete cure comes in a year, but within 3-4 months the centers of tuberculosis can be completely delayed.

In case of relapse treatment lasts 8 months. If there is no bacilli, and you are treated at home, there are no restrictions on communication with children and relatives.