ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS

Course overview

ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS IS A CONDITION IN WHICH MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS CAUSES INFECTION; TYPICALLY IN THE LUNGS, ALTHOUGH MANY SYSTEMS CAN BE INVOLVED. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ESTIMATES THAT, ANNUALLY, AROUND 8 MILLION PEOPLE DEVELOP ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS GLOBALLY, AND NEARLY 2 MILLION PEOPLE DIE FROM THE DISEASE. OF EVERY 10 PEOPLE INFECTED WITH M. TUBERCULOSIS, ONE MAY DEVELOP AN ACTIVE INFECTION SOMETIME IN THEIR LIFETIME. AFTER INFECTION, THE RISK OF DEVELOPING ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS IS HIGHEST IN THE FIRST YEAR, BUT THE ACTIVE DISEASE USUALLY OCCURS MANY YEARS LATER IN MOST PATIENTS. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.