Symptoms of tuberculosis develop more intensely in children than in adults. This is due to the specific structure of the child’s body, the pulmonary system.
Symptoms at each stage of their development have their own colors and manifestations. If there is a suspicion of tuberculosis in a child, it is necessary to urgently carry out diagnostic measures to establish an accurate diagnosis.
The sooner this is discovered serious illness, the more effective his treatment will be. Timely therapeutic measures in some situations can even save a child’s life.
Childhood tuberculosis — infectious process, which is triggered by the entry into the body of a pathogenic microorganism - Koch's bacillus. Children this pathology It is much more difficult to tolerate than in adults.
This is due to the fact that children's immunity is not yet strong enough. It is difficult for him to resist the pathogenic microbe.
Tuberculosis affects not only the pulmonary organ. The infection can cause pathological conditions in the brain, skeletal system and other important structures of the child’s body. Each type of disease has different, characteristic symptoms.
The most difficult thing is to identify the primary one. This is due to the fact that when carrying out diagnostic measures cannot be used on infants instrumental methods research. When a child turns 1 year old, the symptoms of tuberculosis in children begin to appear according to a certain algorithm.
The first symptoms of tuberculosis in children begin to appear before the age of 1 year. The disease comes in two forms depending on the nature of its origin: congenital and acquired. Each type of tuberculosis has different symptoms.
Primary tuberculosis in children has the following symptoms:
The first signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in children:
These manifestations cannot be allowed to go away. You need to urgently contact medical institution for qualified medical care. If you don't start timely treatment, dire consequences may arise.
The following signs of tuberculosis in children usually appear at 3-5 years of age. At the age of three it becomes much easier to diagnose pathological condition. At three years of age, instrumental examination methods are used.
In addition, children from 3 to five years old can already tell themselves what torments them and how long it lasts.
With pulmonary tuberculosis, the initial symptoms do not affect this organ. There is a general deterioration in health. The child develops severe weakness and gets tired very quickly. Physical activity decreases. After a certain time has passed little patient loss of sleep and appetite. As a result of this, he loses weight.
Soon, the listed symptoms are joined by a severe cough, attacks of suffocation and other signs of disorders in the respiratory system. The speed of their occurrence is individual for each child. On the chest, in the area of the lesion, depressions are visible externally.
If you begin to suspect the presence of Koch's bacillus in your child's body, contact a specialized dispensary. After the diagnostic measures have been carried out, the specialist will either refute the diagnosis or confirm it.
In the second case, the child must be admitted to a hospital for round-the-clock medical observation.
Every year, the symptoms of infection with tubercle bacilli become more and more pronounced.
At the age of 7-14 years may occur following signs diseases:
The child experiences a sinking of the chest in the area affected by the disease. Disturbances occur on the skin. It takes on a sickly color. Its outer layer becomes thinner. Microscopic wounds and cracks appear.
In more rare cases, enlarged lymph nodes are added to the listed symptoms. Forcing hemoptysis. If any of the above symptoms occur, consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
In adolescents 14-15 years old, rarer symptoms may occur. It appears in the background concomitant diseases or with inflammation that began late. While children's body Already very weakened.
Hemoptysis, as a rule, occurs in the last stages of the development of pathology. At the same time general condition does not change for the worse or for the better. But when blood comes out along with a cough, the teenager experiences severe pain.
The lymph nodes in the armpits and neck are affected. Slightly less often in groin area in boys.
The last stage of development of the disease, in 80% of cases is accompanied by tuberculosis intoxication. This sign The disease develops after 14 years of age.
This pathological condition occurs when acute form diseases. With tuberculosis intoxication, a teenager cannot eat normally. This is due to the fact that his digestive system is not able to process food.
A severe cough is accompanied by the release of sputum from blood clots. During this process, excruciating pain occurs. To determine the cause of this pathological condition, it is necessary to conduct special tests.
The child may lose the functionality of important organs. For example, losing hearing, vision, smell, etc. This occurs against the background of intensive spread of the pathogenic microorganism.
Disturbances in the neuro-vegetative system may be observed. Increased sweating of the palms and feet occurs. There is also a lag in mental and physical development, unhealthy pallor of the skin.
Tuberculosis can cause the development of many complications. It causes dysfunction of the heart organ, kidneys, liver, musculoskeletal system and other important structures of the human body. The symptoms of these pathological processes are varied. Depends on which organs or systems are affected.
The patient may experience disturbances in heart rate and pain in the heart area. An itchy sensation occurs in the upper and lower limbs. Pain syndrome in muscle tissue and joints. Pain in the liver, kidneys, spleen and other organs.
Pathologies associated with tuberculosis are more acute and painful. They differ in their duration.
To determine the source of the lesion, a thorough diagnosis is needed.
In rare cases, a violation may occur hormonal levels in teenagers. As a result, the child gains excess weight. He may experience attacks of aggression and frequent mood swings. When these symptoms develop, diagnostic measures are necessary.
Symptoms of the development of various forms of tuberculosis depend on the location of the lesions. The volume of inflammation. Presence of concomitant diseases. For example, an illness that is accompanied pathological process in the bronchi, has a strong or moderate cough.
When the pleura is damaged, chest pain and shortness of breath occur. With foci of inflammation in the kidney organs - problems with urination, lower back pain. With pathology of the lymph nodes - severe swelling, edema.
When the skeletal base is damaged, the little patient becomes less active physically. His behavior changes. He becomes more restless. IN spinal region severe pain occurs. Its deformation is observed.
Involuntary contractions of the stomach walls may occur. This leads to constipation or diarrhea. The child cannot perceive food.
When lymph nodes are affected abdominal cavity pain occurs around the navel. Lost appetite. The patient feels sick and vomits. Abnormalities in stool may occur.
This form of the disease can manifest itself in different ways. Tuberculosis can develop like FLU. The child begins to cough and the body temperature rises. But when infected with Koch's bacillus, this pathological condition drags on for a longer period than with a viral infection.
The disease may also develop slowly. The child is lethargic, increased fatigue. He becomes more moody. Over time, he begins to have coughing attacks, and his skin turns pale. The child begins to lose weight.
Brain tuberculosis(tuberculous meningitis) is a most dangerous disease. Its symptoms begin to appear only a few weeks after the infection enters the body. Tuberculous meningitis most often occurs in children whose family includes people with open form diseases.
The child becomes lethargic and restless. He has no appetite at all. He complains of severe migraines and a feeling of nausea. The patient has constant vomiting, high temperature body, spasms.
For a long time, tuberculous meningitis was considered incurable disease. In most cases it ended in death. But medicine does not stand still. At the moment, there are special therapeutic techniques that can cure cerebral tuberculosis. But this will be possible only with timely treatment.
Tuberculosis in children begins with severe weakness. Children gain weight poorly and become overly irritable. If a student falls ill, parents may notice a decrease in academic performance, poor perseverance and inattention. The temperature rises to low-grade levels, although it is often higher. The lymph nodes become inflamed and become dense and large. When conducting a tuberculin test, the answer is always positive. All these signs indicate that Koch’s bacillus has entered the body, which leads to severe intoxication. Children are often diagnosed with chronic tuberculosis intoxication. If parents notice the symptoms of the disease in a timely manner and consult a doctor, the prognosis is very good. With adequate treatment, the child’s body copes well with this infection.
The first signs of tuberculosis in children may resemble a respiratory disease, so parents do not take them seriously. Such signs include fever, hacking cough, severe weakness and apathy. If such symptoms do not disappear within a few weeks, but rather worsen, then tuberculosis can be suspected.
On early stage tuberculosis in children, some symptoms are very specific and characteristic of all forms of this disease:
If the pathology has progressed to chronic form, then other symptoms appear.
Besides, childhood tuberculosis It also has specific symptoms of the disease, which can be used to determine where the source of infection is located. The most common form of tuberculosis is pulmonary; it occurs with the following characteristic symptoms:
Another sign of tuberculosis infection is coughing up blood. If parents notice that there is blood in the sputum that the child coughs up, they must urgently call an ambulance. This sign indicates the onset of pulmonary hemorrhage, which poses a great threat to the patient’s life.
If the child for unexplained reasons began to lose weight, parents should inform the doctor about this. This phenomenon may be the first sign of tuberculosis.
Infancy by medical concepts lasts up to a year. Tuberculosis at this time can be either acquired or genetic.
Symptoms of tuberculosis in infants may vary slightly, but there are basic signs that should make parents suspect something is wrong.
A sick child quickly loses weight, this is especially noticeable if the baby is not yet 3 years old and his body weight is already small.
The baby refuses to eat, has a hard time crying, and does not actively respond to the appearance of his parents or new toys. The cough becomes more intense and frequent, which disturbs sleep.
Tuberculosis in infants is especially dangerous. This is explained by the fact that the disease is not always diagnosed on time, so treatment begins untimely and recovery period drags on.
Diagnosis of an infectious disease in children under 7 years of age is greatly facilitated. Therefore, in this case, tuberculosis in children is treated in a timely manner and recovery is observed faster than in infants.
In children over 5 years of age, symptoms are more pronounced. In addition, preschoolers can already tell their parents what worries them and where it hurts. The first symptoms of the disease in such children do not indicate infection of the lungs. Most often there is a deterioration in health. The child complains of weakness, he becomes less active and does not want to participate in outdoor games. After a while, parents may notice that the baby has lost his appetite, and he sleeps very restlessly. The baby's weight gradually decreases.
Next comes cough, shortness of breath and other symptoms of tuberculosis in children, which indicate a problem with the respiratory organs. Parents may notice that one part of the sternum seems to be sunken. This indicates damage to the respiratory organs on that side.
A sick child is placed in hospital treatment and any contact with other people is limited. The diagnosis can only be confirmed by conducting a detailed examination. For this, x-rays, the Mantoux reaction, a detailed blood test and some other diagnostic methods can be used.
Tuberculosis is still considered a dangerous disease that can lead to the death of a child. Parents should understand that the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better the prognosis.
Symptoms of tuberculosis in children 7 years of age and adolescents are somewhat different from signs of the disease in infants and preschoolers. The main symptoms of tuberculosis in adolescents are as follows:
In older children, parents notice changes in the shape of the breasts. It becomes sunken or one section of the sternum sinks in on the side of the affected organ.
Changes are also observed in skin. The epidermis becomes thin and vulnerable. On different parts bodies often appear unexplained wounds and abrasions. Hemoptysis and enlarged lymph nodes are often observed.
To diagnose the disease, a special test is often performed. The same tests are done periodically at all stages of treatment.
Pulmonary tuberculosis in children is usually very severe, but the infection can also affect other organs, which is manifested by characteristic symptoms.
Signs of tuberculosis of other forms in the earliest stages in children can be confused with other pathologies, so when making a diagnosis, the doctor must consider all possible options for the disease:
Only an experienced doctor can make a correct diagnosis. If you have tuberculosis, it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate; all actions must be agreed upon with a TB doctor.
Girls who suffered from tuberculosis in childhood genitourinary system, in adult life may be infertile!
In children younger age Often not only pulmonary tuberculosis is detected, but also other forms of this dangerous pathology. Tuberculous meningitis, miliary tuberculosis, primary tuberculosis complex and many other forms of the disease can be diagnosed. The main cause of the disease is considered to be contact with infected person and lack of BCG vaccination.
In this form of the disease, the membranes of the brain are affected. In children, the disease is extremely severe and progresses quickly. There are regular headaches, lethargy and sudden mood swings. If this form of tuberculosis in children is not treated, then after two weeks the patient’s condition becomes very serious. The child often begins to vomit, have problems with bowel movements, inflamed eyes and a very slow pulse.
If Koch's bacillus leads to meningoencephalitis, then certain areas of the brain that are responsible for different functions are affected. In this case, to make a diagnosis, it is necessary to do a cerebrospinal fluid analysis and be sure to computed tomography. Tuberculous meningitis often occurs in conjunction with other pathologies, so when diagnosing the disease, the doctor must conduct a series of studies to identify viruses and pathogenic fungi in the body.
Full recovery usually takes more than a year. During this time, the child is hospitalized several times and undergoes complex treatment. Be sure to treat concomitant pathologies, if any. The most important component of treatment is sanatorium-resort therapy. Children after tuberculosis are sent to health resorts, which are located in coniferous forests or not far from them.
During the recovery period after tuberculosis, the child should eat well and walk a lot in the fresh air. The baby must be protected from various infections.
This condition occurs with high fever, severe cough and chest pain. Breathing is very difficult, shortness of breath is observed. The child has a decreased appetite and a noticeable loss of strength. When listening, wheezing is detected from the source of infection. The disease is confirmed based on x-ray and computed tomography data.
The infection can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. It is worth considering that Koch's wand is quite tenacious. Treatment is carried out using special drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures.
In this form of the disease, the body is extensively affected by the tuberculosis bacillus. The disease is very severe, mainly affecting the respiratory organs, spleen and urinary tract. There are two forms of miliary tuberculosis.
If a patient with this form of tuberculosis undergoes an ultrasound of the internal organs, then an enlargement of the liver and spleen is noticeable. Blood and urine tests are required to assess the condition of the whole body. With this form of the disease, tuberculin tests often show false data.
Is this form of tuberculosis curable in children? Yes, this disease can be treated, but the patient must take several anti-tuberculosis drugs at the same time, which are very toxic. At the same time, physiotherapy is carried out, immunomodulators and vitamin complexes are prescribed. The duration of such treatment is at least six months.
Young children are more susceptible to miliary tuberculosis than adolescents and adults. In them, the infection affects small areas of the organs.
In this form of the disease, the respiratory organs. The disease progresses with weight loss, poor appetite, excessive nervous excitement and decreased motor activity. The main symptoms include insomnia and abnormal sweating, especially at night.
To diagnose the disease, the patient is sent for X-rays of the respiratory organs and blood tests. In the first three months of treatment, strong anti-tuberculosis drugs are used. If the prescribed therapy is effective, then after a while the doctor may reduce the amount of medications the patient takes.
The nodes that are most susceptible to infection are those located in close proximity to the neck. They become mobile and painful, often filled with necrotic mass. When the lymph node is heavily filled with pus, it ruptures and in its place a purulent fistula forms, which scars a little later. The body temperature may be more than 40 degrees, the patient is bothered by headaches and general weakness.
For diagnosis, a fluid sample is taken from the affected lymph node, a chest x-ray is taken, and a tuberculin test is performed.
Treatment for this form of the disease can be medication or surgery. To speed up recovery, lymphotropic therapy can be used. This treatment method minimizes the risk of relapse.
Prevention of tuberculosis in children consists of timely BCG vaccination. The first vaccination is carried out in the maternity hospital, and revaccinations, according to indications, are given at 7 and 14 years of age. Parents should monitor the health of their children and immediately consult a doctor at the slightest suspicious symptoms. It must be remembered that tuberculosis is easier to treat in the early stages.
A disease that came to us from time immemorial causes harm every year. a huge number people of different social and financial status. One of the serious infectious diseases can cause harm to both infants and gray-haired old people. Tuberculosis can affect vital human organs. The insidiousness of the disease is that it can occur in a latent phase for several years. What are the symptoms of early stage tuberculosis in children? What should caring parents be alert to so as not to miss the onset of the disease? Children have their own characteristics of the course of the disease, which every parent should know.
An infectious disease transmitted by airborne droplets is dangerous because it can affect all systems and vital organs, but the causative agent of tuberculosis gives the greatest preference to the human lungs. In ancient times, the disease was called consumption from the word “waste away,” in which the patient’s body was severely exhausted, cough and weakness were the main companions of this disease. In 1882, Robert Koch discovered the causative agent of this contagious disease.
All these qualities contribute to easy infection and very problematic and lengthy treatment. But this pathogen does not tolerate sunlight and dies under its direct influence in a few minutes. It is encouraging that not every person whose body is infected with the virus will necessarily get sick. The insidiousness of this disease lies in the fact that only under favorable conditions, an infection that has been lurking in the body for years can begin its destructive effect. And if you look at the first symptoms of tuberculosis in children, then there is a risk of infection spreading not only to the lungs, but also to other organs.
You can become infected with tuberculosis from a sick animal or person who, when coughing or expectorating sputum, secretes MBT (Microbacterium tuberculosis).
According to statistics, a patient with an open pulmonary form Tuberculosis infects up to 20 people per year. A child may become infected:
. Through the street dust. Tuberculosis bacilli rise into the air in windy weather and enter the child’s lungs with the flow of inhaled air.
. In 95% of cases - by airborne droplets. This is possible when you are in the same room with a patient with tuberculosis and inhaling contaminated air, as well as on the street, because when coughing, infectious bacteria spread at a distance of up to two meters, and up to 9 meters when sneezing.
. Through the lacrimal sacs, conjunctivae of the eyes and even the skin when rubbed with fists on which the infectious bacillus is located.
. Through the esophagus, when products of sick animals (milk and meat) are consumed.
The main thing in this case is not to ignore the first symptom of tuberculosis in children and to sound the alarm in time when they suspect something is wrong with the child.
There is a common belief that tuberculosis is contracted by people who eat poorly, live in unsanitary conditions in rooms with increased level dampness, as well as due to the nature of their work, they are forced to frequently come into contact with people infected with tuberculosis. These factors are relevant for both children and adults. But for a number of reasons, children are at risk of becoming infected much more often, and this is due to age characteristics, which affect the structure of some organs. The instability of the child’s immune system to aggressive tuberculosis infection also plays a decisive role.
The course of the disease in the youngest is characterized by a number of features. For infants, the disease is especially dangerous because it easily enters the active stage, causing serious consequences.
Symptoms of tuberculosis in children under one year old are easy to see and can be confused with common cold without paying serious attention to the manifestations of the disease due to characteristic features age:
. a vulnerable immune system, when phagocytes are not able to cope with and destroy the infection that has entered the body;
. underdeveloped pulmonary ventilation function;
. with a poorly expressed cough reflex;
. Due to the small number of mucous glands, the dry surface of the bronchi facilitates the penetration of the tuberculosis bacillus into the lungs.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis in children? Penetrating into the child’s body easily, the disease is masked and difficult to treat. The disease can be confused with a common cold. The determining factor is the organ that is affected by the infection. The symptoms of the disease depend on the dysfunction of the organ or system that is affected, as well as on the activity of the disease. The “blurred” manifestation of the disease can do a disservice.
Although in early childhood it is easier to identify tuberculosis than in an 8-year-old and adolescence when symptoms are less severe.
Diagnosis of the disease in children will be complicated by the absence of complaints due to their infancy, so you should only rely on the attentive attitude of parents to the child’s health.
Symptoms of tuberculosis in children 3 years old are as follows:
. disorders of the nervous system, expressed in general intoxication of the body;
. the baby becomes nervous and whiny for no reason, anxiety is pronounced;
. sleep disturbance;
. increased sweating during sleep (palms, back and pillow are always wet);
. lack of appetite;
. digestive dysfunction;
. unreasonable temperature fluctuations: a slight increase in body temperature in the evening to 37-37.5°C and a drop to 36°C in the morning, which is protracted;
. the cough is bitonic in nature (in a double tone: low and additionally high);
. the lymph nodes are enlarged, but do not cause pain, and the lymph nodes at the pulmonary roots react initially, then above the collarbones and neck.
Tuberculosis also has a special feature infants, the symptoms should alert the mother when feeding, when ideal feeding ends with dyspeptic disorders: dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, regurgitation.
This is an incomplete list of complications that infection can cause in children under three years of age.
The initial manifestations of the disease are mild and very often ignored. Parents should definitely pay attention to their child’s drowsiness, fatigue, and lethargy. Children 7-8 years old and adolescents who become infected with tuberculosis may have signs of bronchitis or a common viral infection, which is what tuberculosis is disguised as. Sometimes the classic symptoms of this disease appear suddenly. Parents should pay attention to hidden tuberculosis. Symptoms and first signs in children appear as follows:
. a slight increase in temperature to a little over 37 degrees, which long time does not subside;
. shortness of breath that gets worse over time;
. chills with normal temperature environment;
. profuse sweating at night;
. weakness, loss of strength;
. persistent cough that does not go away for several weeks;
. lack of appetite;
. sputum is expectorated, and sometimes with blood;
. weight loss without visible reasons;
. pain in the chest.
You should not ignore any symptom of tuberculosis in children, so as not to miss precious time to take adequate measures in the current situation.
Pulmonary tuberculosis in children is curable, so there is no need to panic. It is necessary to urgently contact a phthisiatrician who will prescribe appropriate treatment. The path to recovery will be long, but this disease is completely curable if you seek medical help in a timely manner. At neglected form the collapse of lung tissue and the spread of focal infection to other organs is possible.
In the understanding of most people, when the diagnosis “tuberculosis” is mentioned, associations immediately arise with the pulmonary form of the disease. It is worth noting that this infection affects not only the pulmonary system, but also other human systems and organs, including bones and joints.
When joints and bones are affected, the disease progresses very slowly. Parents should pay serious attention to children's complaints about painful sensations during movement, because as a symptom of tuberculosis in children, at the initial stage of damage to the spine and joints - pain with any physical activity, which do not give him peace. And with the development of the disease, the child faces lameness and a dramatic change in gait.
The patient will have to live with the following painful manifestations:
. fragility of bones, resulting in frequent fractures;
. stiffness in movements due to pain at the slightest physical activity;
. severe pain in the spine and all joints;
. deformation of the bone or joint occurs, the affected area swells.
So as not to lead to irreversible consequences bone tuberculosis, symptoms, first signs in children should alert parents. Adults are required to show the child to medical specialists. This will prevent the disease from moving into the post-aging phase, saving the child’s life and saving him from disability.
If tuberculosis is suspected, children are prescribed the necessary tests (general and detailed analysis of urine and blood), X-rays of the lungs are prescribed, and morning sputum is taken for two days in a row. Based on these tests, the TB doctor makes a conclusion. If necessary, appointed additional tests to have a complete picture. A test is also performed to identify the sensitivity of the child’s body to the tuberculosis bacillus - the Mantoux test. Very often this test detects the presence of an infectious bacillus in the body, but this does not mean that the child is sick with this disease. Often the disease “waits” for the right moment so that, under favorable conditions (stressful situation or cold), it begins active development. Then it is necessary not to miss the first symptom of tuberculosis in children.
Even at the slightest suspicion of tuberculosis, parents should urgently contact a pediatrician. Adequate treatment initially is critical. It is strictly forbidden to start treatment on your own, and even more so to use antibiotics, to which the tuberculosis bacillus easily adapts. As a result, the risk of complications in the child will increase, which will add problems during treatment. You will have to take anti-tuberculosis drugs for a long time, and they seriously affect the entire child’s body, not just the tuberculosis bacillus.
To identify a disease such as tuberculosis in children, symptoms and treatment must be carefully assessed by a medical specialist.
Drugs are prescribed based on examination of the child. The dosage is calculated taking into account physiological characteristics the patient's body and weight. Mild cases of the disease do not always require hospitalization. The prescribed drugs "Streptomycin" or "Isonoazid" are given free of charge by the treating TB specialist for the entire required course of treatment. Take the drug together with dairy products to minimize its effect on the walls and mucous membrane of the stomach.
If treatment is prescribed in a timely manner, then positive effect occurs quickly due to the unique ability of the child’s body to quickly regenerate damaged tissue.
It is easier to protect yourself than to get rid of the disease. Preventive measures can prevent and rid a child’s body at such a tender age of health problems.
How to protect a child from a disease such as tuberculosis? In children, symptoms (photo) manifest themselves differently, which means that it is necessary to be attentive to any cold and to monitor the most minor deviations in behavior and health.
The list of preventive measures includes:
1. A complete balanced diet.
2. Minimizing stressful situations.
3. Normal sleep and daily routine.
4. Mandatory vaccination, and also BCG revaccination, strictly following the developed vaccination calendar.
5. To determine immunity to the tuberculosis bacillus, the body is tested by the Mantoux test annually for vaccinated children up to the age of 18, and twice a year for unvaccinated children.
6. For children in contact with tuberculosis patients, chemoprophylactic treatment with special drugs is provided.
All these measures will help strengthen the child’s immunity, thereby preventing the development of the disease. But even if tuberculosis is detected, you should not despair, because in our time you can get rid of this disease. It is important to start treatment on time, then the result will be positive.
Tuberculosis is often called a “social disease,” explaining that its incidence is growing in places where not everything is good with living conditions.
With the deterioration of the socio-economic situation and the increase in the number of antisocial elements who do not undergo medical examinations, large number people become ill, and many more are at risk of further spread of the infection. And traditionally, those at risk are the most defenseless.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Koch bacilli (mycobacteria). Tuberculosis bacilli were discovered by the German scientist Robert Koch, who studied the disease, its symptoms and what provokes it, in 1882.
Koch proved that the disease is of infectious origin. He discovered a high level of pathogen survival, their resistance to high and low temperatures, moisture, light and chemistry. At natural conditions Mycobacteria can live for several months if protected from direct sunlight; in dust they live for up to 10 days, in water for up to 5 months.
In addition to resistance to adverse effects external environment, the reasons why tuberculosis cannot be completely defeated are the following:
Due to the “survivability” of the infection, tuberculosis is a very dangerous disease, the treatment of which is accompanied by great difficulties. Many patients never completely recover from this disease.
Infection of the body with Koch bacilli usually occurs when it enters the lungs by airborne droplets pathogenic particles released when a person with pulmonary tuberculosis coughs.
The cause of infection in children is close contact with a sick adult.(relative). In addition to the aerogenic route, the body can receive mycobacteria:
The main reason for the development of tuberculosis in children is vulnerable immune system, weak due to young age or other reasons:
There is a high risk of infection in children from disadvantaged families and those living in shelters or boarding schools.
A prerequisite for the treatment of acute gastritis in children is a strict diet. You can learn about it and much more by clicking.
In the early stages of development, pulmonary tuberculosis in children manifests itself very weakly, no obvious ones. Nonspecific symptoms- fever, chills, drowsiness and lethargy.
Sometimes specific signs appear:
Timely detection of tuberculosis in children of both infant and preschool age difficult. And if babies are still vaccinated in the maternity hospital, which allows the body to protect itself until the immune system is fully formed, it makes the primary disease as easy as possible, but with children of kindergarten age everything is more difficult.
In preschool children manifestations of tuberculosis at an early stage are nonspecific: headache, overwork, lack of appetite, fever or chills - all this is usually mistaken by parents for the onset of a regular flu. It is necessary to start sounding the alarm even when anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs do not bring any benefit.
Recognition among schoolchildren easier, since they must be vaccinated annually on- most effective method detection of infection. Teenagers pass radiographic examination, allowing you to “catch” the disease at an early stage. We wrote about other methods for diagnosing tuberculosis in children.
At the first suspicion, the child must be taken to appointment with a general practitioner who will hold necessary examination, and if suspicions are confirmed will refer you to a phthisiatrician.
It is important to remember: the open form of the disease in the absence of treatment leads to fatal outcome 50% of cases occur in just one or two years.
What Dr. Komarovsky says on this topic, watch the video:
Specific symptoms such as inflammation of the lymph nodes, wheezing in the lungs, or a significantly elevated temperature in the child should force parents to consult a doctor. During the examination the specialist will collect anamnesis(information about family, living conditions, complaints, previous diseases) and prescribe tests for tuberculosis in children:
Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will decide on the need and scope of treatment.
Chemotherapy– a fundamental method of combating tuberculosis in children and adults. It involves the patient taking a group of certain drugs in different combinations. This has a complex effect on Koch’s bacillus, which is invulnerable to conventional antibiotics.
Drugs for treatment:
Of the above medicines They formulate combination regimens that are both effective and do not provoke the mutation of a drug-resistant form of the disease.
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Treatment of tuberculosis is a long and complex process. Not only are they important strict adherence to doctor's recommendations and strict adherence to dosage regimens medicines , but also the creation of an appropriate environment for rehabilitation for the patient.
The person recovering must be in a psychologically comfortable climate, receive adequate nutrition taking into account dietary restrictions. The room where the recovering patient will live must be clean, ventilated, and protected from viruses and infections.
What means of preventing tuberculosis are recommended:
The prognosis of a tuberculosis patient will be favorable if these conditions are met. One of them is strict adherence to the rules of prevention and rehabilitation What matters is how timely the disease was detected and how effective the treatment measures were.
Clinical recovery is considered to be the healing of foci of inflammation and the disappearance of specific symptoms, however, in places where inflammation is localized, “dormant” bacteria may remain, which can provoke a relapse of tuberculosis.
Even with the most favorable outcome, patients after recovery they remain on the dispensary register with the need for regular examination.
Learn more about the disease from a detailed video program:
Parents should closely monitor the health of their children. Of course, you don’t need to consider every sneeze a fatal disease, but symptoms that do not disappear after taking the usual set of medications should attract attention. Although modern pharmacology allows you to successfully fight tuberculosis, it still remains one of the most dangerous diseases in the world.
What is tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infection that primarily affects the lungs.
Who is at risk
Although tuberculosis is now less common, some children are at greater risk of contracting it than others.
At risk are:
Ways of spreading tuberculosis
The usual way this infection spreads is through the air: a sick adult coughs and the bacteria become airborne. The child inhales them along with the air and thus becomes infected. Children under ten years of age with pulmonary tuberculosis rarely infect other people because they usually have very little bacteria in their mucus and a relatively unproductive cough.
Fortunately, most children who have been exposed to tuberculosis pathogens do not become ill. When bacteria reach a child's lungs, the body's immune system destroys the "enemy" and prevents further spread of infection. These children develop an asymptomatic infection that is only detected positive reaction for a skin test. However, children with asymptomatic forms of tuberculosis should still be treated to prevent further development diseases.
Symptoms
From time to time, in a small number of children left without proper treatment, the infection begins to develop actively, causing fever, fatigue, irritability, persistent cough, weakness, heavy and/or rapid breathing, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss and slow growth.
In some children (mostly under four years of age), TB germs can spread through the bloodstream, affecting almost any organ. In this case, the disease will require much more complex treatment, and the sooner it is started, the better the result will be. In such children with high degree tuberculous meningitis is likely to develop - the most dangerous form of this disease, which affects the brain and central nervous system.
Diagnostics
Children who are constantly at risk of contracting TB should undergo regular TB skin testing.
Your child may need a skin test if you answered yes to at least one of the following questions:
The test is carried out in the pediatrician's office (or in the manipulation room of the clinic) by injecting tuberculin (a mixture of organic substances of varying degrees of complexity obtained from mycobacterium tuberculosis) into the skin of the forearm. If there is an infection, your child's skin will become swollen and red at the injection site. Your pediatrician will check the injection site within 48 to 72 hours after the test and measure the diameter of the redness and swelling. This skin test will show whether there has been a bacterial infection, even if the child has no symptoms and has successfully fought off the disease.
Treatment
Fighting the spread of tuberculosis
If your child has been infected with TB (whether they develop symptoms or not), it is important to try to find out who they might have been infected with. To do this, you should find out if anyone who has been in close contact with the sick child has symptoms of TB. It is necessary to conduct a skin test for TB and examine all family members, nannies, housekeepers, and employees of preschool and school institutions. The most common symptom of tuberculosis in adults is a persistent cough, especially one that is accompanied by hemoptysis. Anyone with a positive skin test should be seen by a doctor and thoroughly examined, including a chest x-ray, sputum examination, etc. If necessary, the person should be treated with certain medications.
With an active infection found in adult, he will be isolated as much as possible (especially from small children) until the full course of treatment is completed.
All family members who have been in contact with this person, as a rule, also undergo preventive treatment measures - they take isoniazid, regardless of the results of their own skin tests. Anyone who is sick or has characteristic changes on a chest x-ray should be considered a carrier of active tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is very common among antisocial populations who are more susceptible to disease due to poor living conditions, poor nutrition and lack of proper medical care. People with AIDS are also at greater risk of developing tuberculosis due to their body's reduced resistance to various infections.
Without treatment Tuberculosis pathogens in a child’s body can remain dormant for many years and will begin to become active only in special periods- during adolescence, pregnancy or during periods of stress in adult life.
The main danger of tuberculosis is that a person not only becomes seriously ill, but can also spread the infection to others. This is why it is important that your child is promptly tested for TB if he or she is in close contact with any adult who has a positive skin test or has had TB, even if they have received timely and adequate treatment.
