Highest global mortality of any infectious disease.
Pulmonary TB is exceedingly infectious by the airborne route.
Latent disease believed to affect >20% of world population (latent TB is non-infectious).
Prevalence higher in developing nations, and highly associated with HIV infection.
Diagnosis of active TB: sputum acid fast stain and culture, sputum PCR
Diagnosis of latent TB: interferon-gamma release assay
Pulmonary:
Cavitating pneumonia
Upper lobe pnuemonia
Occasionally miliary
Extrapulmonary:
Lymph node disease
CNS infection
Osteomyelitis (Potts)
Peritoneal
Others
Infectious Diseases consultation required for suspected active TB.
Airborne precautions for pulmonary TB urgently, on suspicion of diagnosis.
Release isolation after three negative sputum smears.
Caseating granulomas on pathology.
MDR includes rifampin and isoniazid resistance.
