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What Are The Symptoms Of Tuberculosis?
Question: Hello Doctor,
I have a 2 year old daughter who played with tuberculosis patient 2 months back. once in a while she used to play with him in a day.
she got vaccinated with BCG when she was born but still we have that panic whenever she coughs / wheezes in a day. she coughs and wheezing maximum 4-5 times daily and we are not able to make out whether she is coughing normally or due to some problem.
yesterday she got fever and stayed for one whole day. today she is alright.
when she was born she was chubby and fat, but once she started growing she is losing weight, but now we are not able to make out whether she losing weight because of some problem or just because she is growing, she is 10 Kilos now.
please advise.
Few Questions:
1. i am pregnant for 2nd baby and its 2 months now, i still feed my 1st baby maximum once in a day and once in night, if my 1st baby is infected with TB (i pray god,she should not) drinking my breast milk will infect me or my baby inside?
2. will infected TB children spread the disease to other kids / adults?
3. what are the easy ways to detect TB in children?
I have a 2 year old daughter who played with tuberculosis patient 2 months back. once in a while she used to play with him in a day.
she got vaccinated with BCG when she was born but still we have that panic whenever she coughs / wheezes in a day. she coughs and wheezing maximum 4-5 times daily and we are not able to make out whether she is coughing normally or due to some problem.
yesterday she got fever and stayed for one whole day. today she is alright.
when she was born she was chubby and fat, but once she started growing she is losing weight, but now we are not able to make out whether she losing weight because of some problem or just because she is growing, she is 10 Kilos now.
please advise.
Few Questions:
1. i am pregnant for 2nd baby and its 2 months now, i still feed my 1st baby maximum once in a day and once in night, if my 1st baby is infected with TB (i pray god,she should not) drinking my breast milk will infect me or my baby inside?
2. will infected TB children spread the disease to other kids / adults?
3. what are the easy ways to detect TB in children?
Brief Answer:
Childhood tuberculosis is not as infective as adult one
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for the query
Most common mode of transmission of tuberculosis is by inhalation of droplets released by an adult or elderly patient in whom TB bacteria is present in sputum.In adult the diagnosis is mainly based on symptoms,radiographic features and sputum test for the TB bacteria.
Tuberculosis can be of various type like pulmonary,lymph node,brain,bone or genitourinary.Out of these pulmonary is the most infective. Chances of infection with other form is much less common.
So I would like to know what type of tuberculosis he was suffering from?
The infectivity decreases after 2-3 weeks of treatment.
So my second question is how many days he/she has received the treatment at the time of contact?
BCG provide 50% protection from being infected and in upto 80% cases it prevents the severe progression of the disease.
So your child is susceptible to infection even after vaccination.
The children below 4 years of age are more susceptible.
The common presentation is low grade fever with cough and progressive weight loss.
Cough with sneezing is more suggestive of viral/allergic infection, not TB.
Viral infection is very common in this age and can occur upto 8-10 times per year.
You are right the common cause of improper weight gain is growth of the baby.
My third question is whether your child is not gaining weight or has lost weight?
If mother is infected then there is a chance of transmission to the breast fed baby,but transmission from an infected baby to mother by feeding is not known.
You can get a skin test done to check whether your daughter has tuberculosis infection or not. But this test tells about the infection not the disease.
If the test comes positive she may need prophylaxis for TB if there is a clear history of contact with open case of TB.
The childhood tuberculosis is very less infective but still there is chance of infectivity.
I hope this answers your query to a certain extent.
I would be glad to answer if you have any more query
Regards
Childhood tuberculosis is not as infective as adult one
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for the query
Most common mode of transmission of tuberculosis is by inhalation of droplets released by an adult or elderly patient in whom TB bacteria is present in sputum.In adult the diagnosis is mainly based on symptoms,radiographic features and sputum test for the TB bacteria.
Tuberculosis can be of various type like pulmonary,lymph node,brain,bone or genitourinary.Out of these pulmonary is the most infective. Chances of infection with other form is much less common.
So I would like to know what type of tuberculosis he was suffering from?
The infectivity decreases after 2-3 weeks of treatment.
So my second question is how many days he/she has received the treatment at the time of contact?
BCG provide 50% protection from being infected and in upto 80% cases it prevents the severe progression of the disease.
So your child is susceptible to infection even after vaccination.
The children below 4 years of age are more susceptible.
The common presentation is low grade fever with cough and progressive weight loss.
Cough with sneezing is more suggestive of viral/allergic infection, not TB.
Viral infection is very common in this age and can occur upto 8-10 times per year.
You are right the common cause of improper weight gain is growth of the baby.
My third question is whether your child is not gaining weight or has lost weight?
If mother is infected then there is a chance of transmission to the breast fed baby,but transmission from an infected baby to mother by feeding is not known.
You can get a skin test done to check whether your daughter has tuberculosis infection or not. But this test tells about the infection not the disease.
If the test comes positive she may need prophylaxis for TB if there is a clear history of contact with open case of TB.
The childhood tuberculosis is very less infective but still there is chance of infectivity.
I hope this answers your query to a certain extent.
I would be glad to answer if you have any more query
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thanks a lot for your response.
I am not sure on what kind of tuberculosis he was suffering from but i have his scan report in front of me now, its written something like multiple enlarged right cervical lymphnodes in USG. he got surgery done on his lower back bone, by implanting some artificial equipment. he is still in hospital now. he was not having more cough also.
by the time my kid was playing with him we were not knowing that he is having TB as the tests and scans were still going on at that time, once diagnosed - then we avoided my kid going in contact with him.
my kid is not losing weight, she is not gaining weight. she is the same 10 kilos from months.
i think i answered all your questions.
my last question is if i get the skin test done for her and if its negative - it 100% shows that she is free from TB right?
I am not sure on what kind of tuberculosis he was suffering from but i have his scan report in front of me now, its written something like multiple enlarged right cervical lymphnodes in USG. he got surgery done on his lower back bone, by implanting some artificial equipment. he is still in hospital now. he was not having more cough also.
by the time my kid was playing with him we were not knowing that he is having TB as the tests and scans were still going on at that time, once diagnosed - then we avoided my kid going in contact with him.
my kid is not losing weight, she is not gaining weight. she is the same 10 kilos from months.
i think i answered all your questions.
my last question is if i get the skin test done for her and if its negative - it 100% shows that she is free from TB right?
Brief Answer:
Skin test can be positive in more than 90% cases of TB infection
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome again
The involvement of lower back bone with USG suggesting enlarged lymph node and absence of cough,all these are against pulmonary tuberculosis.
The chances of acquiring infection is very less from other form of TB than pulmonary TB.
Also your kid has no signs suggestive of TB and there is no loss of weight.
All these facts giving the clue that chance of getting infected is very less in your kid.As he is not exposed to an open case the prophylaxis will not be needed even if skin test comes positive.
Skin test can be negative in up to 20 % cases of TB infection and the test comes positive in 10% of cases who does not have TB infection.
So although reliability of skin test is good but in the absence of symptoms and contact history treatment can not be started.
So don't worry and if you notice any abnormal findings consult your physician for evaluation.
I hope this answers your query.
Regards
Skin test can be positive in more than 90% cases of TB infection
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome again
The involvement of lower back bone with USG suggesting enlarged lymph node and absence of cough,all these are against pulmonary tuberculosis.
The chances of acquiring infection is very less from other form of TB than pulmonary TB.
Also your kid has no signs suggestive of TB and there is no loss of weight.
All these facts giving the clue that chance of getting infected is very less in your kid.As he is not exposed to an open case the prophylaxis will not be needed even if skin test comes positive.
Skin test can be negative in up to 20 % cases of TB infection and the test comes positive in 10% of cases who does not have TB infection.
So although reliability of skin test is good but in the absence of symptoms and contact history treatment can not be started.
So don't worry and if you notice any abnormal findings consult your physician for evaluation.
I hope this answers your query.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Pradeep Vitta
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