MED INSIDER
DR RIA MASLOG
FOR JULY 23, 2023
Tuberculosis
The first infection with tubercle bacilli may not be recognized
clinically, radiographically and/or bacteriologically because these
usually run a benign and asymptomatic course.
This first infection with tubercle bacilli is called Primary Infection
and most are accidentally diagnosed because the tuberculin test
is positive even without history of exposure to tuberculosis.
Children with primary infection usually present vague and mild
symptoms or may even be asymptomatic.
Parents usually observe the following in their children: easy
fatigability, apathy, irritability, on and off fever, mild cough and
colds, and gastrointestinal tract problems
If a child is found to have a primary infection, then the whole
household contact should be screened to identify the source of
infection and thus be treated as well. It is well documented that
active childhood tuberculosis is found in 10% of children in
contact with smear-positive adult index cases in the same
household or family.
Since primary infection is a self-limiting disease, mostly children
will recover well.
However, recovery is not good in the presence of the following
symptoms: malnutrition, debilitated children subjected to repetitive
infections who are prone to complications occurring within a year.