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Tuberculosis

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Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a disease that has been around for centuries, yet it still poses a serious

threat to public health today. Despite the availability of effective treatments, tuberculosis remains

one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide. The reason for this is

multifaceted, but one of the key factors is the fact that tuberculosis is often a disease of poverty.

This is compounded by the fact that tuberculosis is highly contagious, making it difficult to

contain and control. In order to address the problem of tuberculosis, it is important to first

understand the factors that contribute to its spread. Only then can effective prevention and

treatment strategies be developed. This paper will explore the factors that contribute to the spread

of tuberculosis, causes, symptoms and complications with a focus on issues related to the disease

as a whole. It will also discuss the treatments involved to help address this global health problem

based on epidemiological and nursing research concepts.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious, airborne bacterial infection that most often

affects the lungs (Robert & Miossec, 2021). It is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis

bacteria and is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. It is also

possible to become infected with TB through close contact with an infected person, such as

living in the same household. People with TB often have no symptoms for weeks or even

months. This makes it difficult to detect and diagnose the disease. When symptoms do appear,

they may include a cough that lasts for more than three weeks, coughing up blood, chest pain,

fatigue, weight loss, and fever. TB can be life-threatening if left untreated. It can cause serious

lung damage and spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, kidneys and spine.

Treatment
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TB is treated with a combination of antibiotics. The most common treatment regimen is a

four-drug regimen that includes isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. Treatment

usually lasts for six to nine months. If TB is not treated properly, it can cause serious health

complications such as pneumonia, meningitis which in most cases leads to death of the victim.

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the spread of the disease and to reduce the

risk of the named complications.

Demographic of Interest

The demographic of interest for TB is mortality, which is the number of deaths due to the

disease. TB is a leading cause of death worldwide is most common in developing countries,

where poverty, poor housing, and lack of access to healthcare make it easier for the disease to

spread. In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new cases of TB worldwide, and 1.4

million people died from the disease. TB is particularly prevalent in Africa, where it is the

leading cause of death for women of childbearing age. In 2015, there were an estimated 1.3

million new cases of TB in Africa, and 400,000 people died from the disease (Stubbs et al.,

2021). Tuberculosis is a reportable disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) requires that all cases of active tuberculosis be reported to the local or state health

department within 24 hours of diagnosis.

Social Determinants of Health

The social determinants of health are a set of factors that affect a person's health. There

are a number of social determinants of health that contribute to the development of tuberculosis.

These include poverty, poor housing, overcrowding, poor nutrition, and lack of access to health.

Poverty is a major risk factor for the development of tuberculosis. Poverty leads to

overcrowding, which increases the risk of transmission of the disease. Poor housing and
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overcrowding also lead to poor nutrition, which can weaken the immune system and make

people more susceptible to infection. In addition, people who are malnourished are more likely

to develop complications from the disease, which can lead to death. In addition, people living in

poverty often have limited access to healthcare, which can make it difficult to diagnose and treat

the disease. Poor housing can be damp and cold, which creates an environment that is conducive

to the growth of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Overcrowding also increases the risk of

transmission of the disease because people are subjected to coming into close proximity with

each other which increases their chances to coming into contact with fluids from an infected

person.

Epidemiologic Triangle as It Relates to Tuberculosis

The epidemiologic triangle is a model that is used to show the relationship between a

host, an agent, and the environment when it comes to communicable diseases (Asaad et al.,

2021). The host is the individual who is infected with the disease. The agent is the

microorganism that causes the disease. The environment is the place where the microorganism

lives and multiplies. The three factors are interconnected and affect each other. The host factors

include the individual’s susceptibility to the disease, the individual’s resistance to the disease,

and the individual’s ability to recover from the disease. The agent factors include the presence or

absence of the tuberculosis bacteria. The environmental factors include the social and economic

conditions that may promote the spread of tuberculosis which include crowding, poverty, income

and poor housing.

Considerations and Notifications

There are several special considerations or notifications for the community, schools, or

general population concerning tuberculosis. First, tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease that
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can be spread through coughing and sneezing. It is important for people who are susceptible to

the disease to avoid close contact with people who have active tuberculosis. Second, people with

active tuberculosis should be treated by a healthcare professional as soon as possible to minimize

the risk of transmission. Third, people who have been exposed to tuberculosis should be tested

for the disease and, if necessary, treated. Finally, it is important for people who are at risk for

tuberculosis to get vaccinated against the disease.

The Role of The Community Health Nurse

The role of the community health nurse in tuberculosis (TB) control is to promote active

case finding, reporting, data collection, data analysis, and follow-up (Zago et al., 2021). Active

case finding involves going out into the community to identify people with TB symptoms and

referring them for diagnosis and treatment. Reporting is essential for tracking the number of new

TB cases and monitoring the progress of TB control efforts. Data collection is used to generate

information on the epidemiology of TB in the community, which is essential for planning and

evaluating TB control activities. Data analysis is used to identify risk factors for TB transmission

and to assess the effectiveness of TB control measures. Follow-up is essential to ensure that

people with TB are properly treated and to prevent the spread of TB in the community.

Demographic data are necessary to the health of the community because they provide

information on the population at risk for TB, the incidence of TB, and the prevalence of TB

(Gonçalves et al., 2022). Demographic data can also be used to identify risk factors for TB

transmission and to assess the effectiveness of TB control measures.

Organization Addressing Tuberculosis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a national agency that

addresses tuberculosis. (CDC) work to resolve and reduce the impact of tuberculosis by
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investigating and monitoring the spread of the disease, developing and implementing prevention

and control strategies, and providing training and guidance to healthcare providers. They also

work to improve the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis by conducting research and

providing information and resources to healthcare providers and patients. The CDC recommends

that people at high risk for TB be tested and treated for the disease. People at high risk for TB

include those who have been in close contact with someone with TB, those who have a

weakened immune system, and those who live or work in places where TB is common.

Global Implication of Tuberculosis

There is no denying the global implications of tuberculosis. One major impact of the

disease is death and illness. The death and illness caused by this disease is devastating and takes

a toll on societies and economies around the world. Each year, TB kills more than 1.5 million

people around the world, and causes millions more to fall ill according to the World Health

Organization. The vast majority of these deaths and illnesses occur in developing countries,

where access to treatment and prevention is often limited. The death and illness impact of TB are

felt most acutely by poor and marginalized communities, who are often the most vulnerable to

the disease. There are several reasons why TB remains such a problem in many parts of the

world. Apart from poverty being a major factor, the rise of drug-resistant TB is a key concern.

Drug-resistant TB is harder to treat and can lead to longer, more expensive courses of treatment

which trickles down to death of those infected.

Adress of Tuberculosis in Other Countries

Tuberculosis is addressed in other countries or cultures by providing education about the

disease, its transmission, and its prevention. In addition, countries or cultures with a high

incidence of tuberculosis provide free or low-cost vaccination and treatment programs. For
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example, in India, the government provides free tuberculosis treatment to all citizens. There are

also a number of international initiatives to control TB. The World Health Organization (WHO)

has launched a Global Plan to Stop TB (Abbott, 2019). The plan includes a number of measures

to control the spread, such as strengthening TB control programs, increasing access to treatment,

and providing education about the disease. In some countries, such as India, tuberculosis is

endemic, meaning it is present in the population at all times. In other countries tuberculosis is not

endemic, but cases still occur, they are usually imported from other countries where the disease

is more common. For example, in the United States, most cases of tuberculosis are imported

from other countries, such as Mexico or India.

The fight against TB is a global effort, and it will require the cooperation of all countries

to control its spread. In order to control the spread of TB, it is important for countries to have

strong national programs in place. These programs should be designed to detect and treat cases

of TB, and to prevent the spread of the disease. They should also be able to respond quickly to

any outbreaks of TB. In recent years, there have been significant advances in the treatment of

TB. However, these advances will only be effective if people have access to them. In many

countries, this is not the case. There is a need for better access to diagnosis and treatment,

particularly in developing countries. The fight against TB is an ongoing battle, and it is one that

we must all play a part in. By working together, we can make a difference and save lives.
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References

Abbott, S. (2019). GetTBinR: An R package for accessing and summarising the World Health

Organisation Tuberculosis Data. Journal of Open Source Software, 4(34), 1260.

https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01260

Asaad, M., Ali, M. K., Abo-Kadoum, M. A., Lambert, N., Gong, Z., Wang, H., ... & Xie, J.

(2021). Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPE10 (Rv0442c) alters host cell apoptosis and

cytokine profile via linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex HOIP-NF-κB signaling

axis. International Immunopharmacology, 94, 107363.

Gonçalves, M. J. F., de Andrade, A. B. C. A., & Adegboye, A. R. A. (2022). Health Protection

and Global Approach to Neglected Communicable Diseases. In Social Science

Perspectives on Global Public Health (pp. 208-219). Routledge.

Robert, M., & Miossec, P. (2021). Reactivation of latent tuberculosis with TNF inhibitors:

critical role of the beta 2 chain of the IL-12 receptor. Cellular & Molecular

Immunology, 18(7), 1644-1651.

Stubbs, B., Siddiqi, K., Elsey, H., Siddiqi, N., Ma, R., Romano, E., ... & Koyanagi, A. (2021).

Tuberculosis and non-communicable disease multimorbidity: an analysis of the world

health survey in 48 low-and middle-income countries. International Journal of

Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2439.

Zago, P. T. N., Maffacciolli, R., Mattioni, F. C., Dalla-Nora, C. R., & Rocha, C. M. F. (2021).

Nursing actions promoting adherence to tuberculosis treatment: scoping review. Revista

da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 55.