How does the chemicals in tuberculosis treatment act up on bacilli?
Tuberculosis is a chronic, progressive infection with a period of latency following initial infection. It occurs most commonly in the lungs. Pulmonary symptoms include productive cough, chest pain, and dyspnea. Diagnosis is by sputum culture and smear. Treatment is with multiple antimicrobial agents. The goal of treatment is to cure the infection with drugs that fight the tuberculosis bacteria. The intial treatment may involve a combination of many drugs. It is continued until lab tests show which medicine works best. Treatment usually lasts for 6 months, but longer courses may be needed for persons with AIDS or whose disease responds slowly. You may need to be admitted to a hospital to prevent the spread of the disease to others until you are no longer contagious. Incomplete treatment of TB infections (such as failure to take medications for the prescribed length of time) can contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. You need to take a combination of special a
