Tuberculosis symptoms are the first signs in children treated. Pediatric tuberculosis: the main signs, treatment and prevention

Tuberculosis continues to be one of the most common infectious diseases that is dangerous for all people, especially for children and adolescents. Infection affects any organ, often developing in a latent form. You need to know what the first symptoms are, start emergency treatment, as the disease gradually progresses, severe and not always treatable varieties of tuberculosis arise. In many countries of the world, including Russia, BCG vaccination is given to children. Parents should understand what is its significance, whether it should be done a second time, in what cases.

Content:

Ways of infecting children with tuberculosis

Tuberculosis bacteria (Koch sticks) are extremely resistant to environmental conditions. They are able to stay in the human body for a long time in a "dormant" state, when their life activity is almost completely suspended. In this form, the infection is not even sensitive to the action of anti-TB drugs.

The active development of bacteria begins if favorable conditions are created, when the human body is weakened, the necessary immune defense is absent. In children, immunity is formed in several stages up to 16 years, so babies from birth are at risk of contracting tuberculosis. In addition, the ease of penetration of the infection into the children's body is explained by the physiological features of the structure of the respiratory system. They have worse ventilation than lungs than adults, have a poorly developed cough reflex, and underdeveloped glands that produce mucus in the bronchi, which facilitates the penetration of bacteria.

The infection spreads by airborne droplets and enters the body of the child as follows:

1. During inhalation of street dust or air in unventilated rooms, where Koch’s sticks get when a sick person coughs and sneezes. When coughing, bacteria can be detected at a distance of 2 m, and when sneezing - at a distance of up to 9 m. The infection enters the lungs and affects various tissues of the body. You can get infected even in public transport or a store.
2. When eating meat and milk of animals infected with tuberculosis. The spread of bacteria occurs through the esophagus.
3. When infected dust gets into the eyes, the infection affects the conjunctiva, lacrimal sacs, from where it enters other organs.
4. When rubbing infected dust into the skin or getting it in the child’s mouth with dirty hands.

Tuberculosis is more often affected by children living in poor sanitary conditions (dirty, damp, unventilated rooms) who are undernourished, with impaired physical development. A child who lives in normal conditions, but is in contact with a sick person, can also become infected. Especially dangerous is the disease of tuberculosis in infants, since their disease very quickly takes an active form, which leads to serious consequences.

Tuberculosis classification

Depending on the stage of infection in the body, the following types of tuberculosis in children are distinguished:

• primary;
• respiratory tuberculosis;
• tuberculosis of other organs (except for nails, teeth and hair, it can affect any organs).

Distinguish between early and chronic types of disease. In young children, the primary form most often occurs. The development of more severe forms of the disease is faster and more difficult to treat than in older children and adolescents.

The most dangerous for infants are tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis (damage to the lungs, lymph nodes, kidneys).

Video: Symptoms of tuberculosis in children. Diagnostics

How does the disease develop?

The appearance of the first symptoms of tuberculosis in children is associated with the entry of mycobacteria into the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx. From here they pass into the lymphatic system, where they interact with phagocytes (cells of the immune system that absorb bacteria). However, mycobacteria can multiply rapidly, and the immune system can not cope with them. Malicious sticks follow into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.

First signs in children

During the first 2 months, antibodies to mycobacteria are produced in the body. During this period, the child has the same symptoms as with acute respiratory infections (slight fever, cough, increased anxiety). The younger he is, the brighter the manifestations. Despite the malaise, the baby remains active.

Mantoux test for tuberculosis gives a positive reaction, which may indicate infection. The further development of the disease depends on the number of bacteria that are in the body. If there are few of them, then antibodies destroy bacteria. If the Mantoux test is positive, the child is carefully examined and treated in a specialized hospital.

If there are a lot of bacteria, they continue to multiply, then after about six months the formation of the so-called tuberculous tubercles begins (the accumulation of mycobacteria around foci of tissue necrosis). Gradually they merge, separate areas of tissue damage in the lungs and chest lymph nodes form. In some cases, the tubercles dissolve on their own, and the development of bacteria stops.

But most often calcification of lesions occurs, they are overgrown with fibrous tissue, which leads to scarring. If the focus is completely isolated, bacterial death may occur. Otherwise, the disease becomes latent (inactive, dormant). There is the so-called "primary tuberculosis". From the moment a positive reaction to the Mantoux test is manifested, the child in this case must be monitored by doctors and undergo treatment for 1 year.

If you do not pay attention to the appearance of symptoms of tuberculosis in children (such as fever, cough, weight loss, and others), do not make Mantoux, then with time, an active tuberculosis process in various organs (secondary tuberculosis) will begin.

Most people go through the stage of primary infection. By the age of 1-12 years, approximately 25-30% of children become infected. By the age of 14, this figure reaches 50%. At the age of 30, about 70% of people are infected.

Tuberculosis symptoms

Appear as a result of poisoning the body by the waste products of mycobacteria, as well as the destruction of tissues of various organs.

Intoxication of the body. One of the first signs of tuberculosis is loss of appetite, weight loss. The kid weakens, lags behind in development. He has excessive sweating. The palms and soles of the feet are always wet. The temperature is constantly kept around 37.2 ° -37.5 °. There is a rapid heartbeat, pallor with the appearance of an unnatural blush on the cheeks, gleam in the eyes, and fever.

Symptoms of damage to individual organs. These include:

• soreness and swelling of the lymph nodes;
• cough, hemoptysis (with lung damage);
• shortness of breath and chest pain (with pleural involvement);
• lower back pain and urination disorder (with kidney damage);
• back pain, deformation of bones, restriction of movements (for diseases of the spine);
• nausea, vomiting, pain in the navel (with damage to the intestines or lymph nodes located in the peritoneum).

Paraspecific reactions. They are attributed to the first signs of tuberculosis in children. Such signs are conjunctivitis and inflammation of the eyelids, which are accompanied by photophobia and lacrimation. There are joint pains that are easily mistaken for arthritis. Ring-shaped red spots appear on the skin of the hands, buttocks, legs and other parts of the body.

With a latent course, infection with tuberculosis infection can only be determined using the Mantoux reaction and blood tests. Parents can suspect the presence of tuberculosis in a child by a combination of the following manifestations:

• long-term non-decreasing temperature no higher than 38 ° (antipyretic drugs do not help);
• cough lasting more than 2 weeks;
• weight loss, lack of appetite, weakness, blue under the eyes, unnatural blush, gleam in the eyes;
• the absence of any reaction of the body to conventional antibiotics.

Lymph nodes increase in various areas of the body. Gradually from soft and elastic they become more dense. The acute course of tuberculosis is reminiscent of the symptoms of influenza or pneumonia.

Manifestations of various forms of tuberculosis in children

Depending on the organ in which the development of tuberculosis infection occurs, there are several forms of tuberculosis that have specific clinical manifestations.

Tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes. Such a disease is most common in children. With an uncomplicated course, several lymph nodes are affected by the infection, there are no pronounced symptoms. Tuberculosis capsules are calcined; further reproduction of mycobacteria does not occur. With a complicated form, the infection spreads to neighboring lymph nodes and tissues. This form often affects children under the age of 3 years who have the weakest immunity.

Tuberculous lesion of the bronchi. As a result of the disease, the passage of air through the bronchi is disrupted, as a result of which purulent pneumonia occurs, which often ends fatally. If treatment is not started immediately after the onset of symptoms and a diagnostic test, irreversible changes in the structure of the bronchi will appear, and the child may become disabled.

Tuberculous pleurisy. This form is found in children 2-6 years old. It manifests itself as fever (37.0 ° -37.5 °), shortness of breath and chest pain. With timely treatment, recovery comes.

Pulmonary tuberculosis. Focal tuberculosis (single lesions) or disseminated (in the form of many sites of tissue necrosis) may appear in the lungs. Symptoms of such tuberculosis occur mainly in adolescents 14-16 years old.

Tuberculous damage to bones and joints. It leads to the destruction of cartilage in the joints, as well as the vertebrae. Purulent inflammation occurs, fistula formation is possible, paralysis of the limbs may occur due to compression of the nerve endings in the spine.

Tuberculous meningitis. This type of disease is very rare in children who have not been vaccinated with BCG. Most severely, this type of disease manifests itself in infants. Cramps, paralysis. A bulging fontanel indicates increased intracranial pressure. The disease is evidenced by the posture characteristic of meningitis, which the baby takes due to tension in the muscles of the neck and back.

Tuberculous damage to the kidneys. Occurs in about half the cases of primary extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The defeat begins with the formation of caverns in the walls of the organ, spreads inward, passes to the bladder, urinary tract. After healing, adhesions and scars form.

Diagnostics. Mantoux test

The only reliable method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis is to check the body's response to the Mantoux test (it is also called the Perke test). The tuberculin reagent includes a mixture of antigens for tuberculosis bacilli. When it is introduced under the skin or applied to its surface in an organism infected with rods or vaccinated with BCG vaccine, an allergic response to tuberculin occurs. It does not appear immediately, but within 72 hours.

At the injection site of tuberculin, edema appears and a papule forms. After 3 days, the diameter of the seal is measured using a ruler. A negative test is when the papule is completely absent, redness of no more than 1 mm in diameter is observed around the injection site.

With a redness of 2-4 mm and a slight swelling, the sample is considered doubtful. With infiltrate sizes greater than 5 mm, the sample is positive. A positive result does not mean that the child is necessarily sick. He is referred to a TB specialist for treatment if the family has a patient with tuberculosis or there is a sharp increase in papules up to 10-16 mm.

A positive result in a child previously vaccinated with BCG vaccine indicates that the vaccination was successful. If the result is negative, then the vaccine was of poor quality.

The purpose of such an examination is to confirm the presence of infection with tuberculosis or the existence of a risk of the disease. In addition, the study allows you to establish whether the child needs to be vaccinated again.

For the diagnosis of tuberculosis, biochemical and immunological analyzes of blood and sputum, x-ray examination of organs are also used.

Tuberculosis treatment

Treatment takes place in 2 stages. To eliminate the symptoms of tuberculosis in children, at first an intensive course of treatment is carried out simultaneously with several drugs that suppress the action of both active and dormant mycobacteria. Microorganisms sometimes show resistance to some of them, get used to their action. Therefore, a group of such drugs is used immediately.

The second stage of treatment is restorative. Medications are prescribed to maintain the functioning of the affected organs and prevent the reproduction of the remaining microorganisms. During treatment, vitamin preparations are used, in some cases hormonal drugs. The patient is recommended high-calorie nutrition.

Tuberculosis Prevention in Children

As Dr. E. Komarovsky emphasizes, there are various types of preventive measures aimed at combating tuberculosis. Measures that the state should take: high-quality vaccination of children, creation of normal sanitary conditions in institutions and public places, ensuring a decent standard of living and normal medical care. Measures that parents can take: maintaining cleanliness in the house, teaching the baby to observe hygiene rules, strengthening immunity, hardening, good nutrition, walking in the fresh air.

How to protect a child from infection in the presence of a sick relative

A preventive check for the presence of mycobacteria in the body is periodically passed by all members of the patient's family, including children. If the risk of the disease is high, preventive treatment is performed. It is necessary to carefully monitor that the patient uses separate dishes (it must be disinfected), household and bath accessories, as little as possible in contact with children.

In the apartment it is often necessary to do wet cleaning using antiseptic agents. Especially useful in this case is the stay of children in the clean mountain air, in the coniferous forest.

Video: Causes of Tuberculosis. The role of vaccination

The Importance of Vaccination

A feature of tuberculosis infection is that even its own antigens cannot cope with it. Immunity to this disease is not produced. Therefore, vaccination of children through the introduction of BCG vaccine is of great importance.

Doctors emphasize that a universal remedy that fully protects children from tuberculosis does not exist. However, the vaccine protects against the occurrence of the most severe, deadly forms of the disease (disseminated, miliary, tuberculous meningitis).

The vaccine is available in the form of a solution containing live tuberculosis bacilli. It is administered on the 3rd day of the baby's life, until he has managed to get into an unfavorable environment, creating conditions for infection.

Revaccination is carried out only if subsequently the Mantoux test gave a negative result. If a BCG vaccine was not given to the child in the hospital (parents objected or the child was born too weak), then it can be done later, again taking into account the result of the Mantoux reaction.

At the injection site, after a few weeks, a bubble appears, filled with liquid, which gradually dries up, leaving behind a scar several millimeters in diameter.

It's important to know: The vaccination site can not be processed, combed, rubbed, removed from it.

Since live mycobacteria are introduced, in rare cases, complications arise due to their spread. Such complications may include ulceration of the skin, swollen lymph nodes, and bone diseases. If there are signs of tuberculosis in a child or any complications after vaccination, it is necessary to immediately show it to a doctor and begin treatment with anti-TB drugs.

Video: Tuberculosis Prevention. Causes of the increase in incidence

Tuberculosis is a disease that is transmitted primarily by airborne droplets. Its causative agent is Koch's wand. Tuberculosis can be called a social disease, because 80% of patients have a fairly low standard of living.

In the modern world, it is not necessary to live on the street in order to get tuberculosis, everyone is at risk - both a child and an adult.

Pediatric tuberculosis is more difficult than in adults. This is due to the fact that children are much more susceptible and weaker. We’ll talk about childhood tuberculosis today. We will find out what pulmonary tuberculosis is in children, how it develops and how it is treated.

Infection and development factors

It is easy enough for a child to become infected with tuberculosis. The main route of infection is contact with the sputum of a sick person with an open form of the disease. Coughing, the patient sprays particles of sputum around him, which falls on the people around him, settles on the floor and furniture.

A child can become infected by inhaling contaminated air due to contact with contaminated items and eating infected products. Most often, the stick enters the child’s body through the oral cavity, but in rare cases a transplacental route of infection is also possible.

The mother of the child should be extremely careful, follow all the recommendations of the doctor and then the child has every chance to grow up completely healthy. Thus, the causes of tuberculosis in children are few - usually it is an elementary neglect of hygiene or contact with an infected person.

Stages of the disease in children

Once in the body, the Koch wand infects the cells of the immune defense, and then the body’s tissue. T-lymphocytes also begin to work actively, but they are weak and die quickly.

As a result, it is through the fault of T-lymphocytes that necrotic tissues form, which are an excellent environment for the development of the disease.

Cells pass through the capillaries, which help form tuberculous granulomas, expanding the focus of inflammation more and more. Affected tissues die.

The body responds to MBT with tuberculosis inflammation caused by three components:

• exudative;
• proliferative;
• damaging.

Each of these components is characterized by an individual process. During exudation, cellular components leave the vessels, during proliferation they grow, and at the stage of destruction, cheesy necrosis is formed. These processes occur regardless of the form and location of the disease. Below we will consider the phases of tuberculosis in more detail.

Primary infection tuberculosis phases

Infection at first practically does not appear. Clinically, the symptoms are either very scarce or none at all. In this period, pathogens enter the lymphatic system and organs of immunogenesis. It was at this time that the reaction to Mantoux became positive.

This is followed by a pre-allergic period (lasting 2 weeks), during which the formation of antibodies occurs. Despite the presence of Koch sticks in the body, Mantoux is often negative.

The allergic period is characterized by the fixation of infection on the organs of immunogenesis (these include the spleen, bone marrow, liver, lymph nodes). Around the MBT, lymphocytes accumulate. There are no signs of intoxication yet, the damaging component is absent, but the lymph nodes are already enlarged.

With proliferation, the number of lymphocytes around the office increases. They prevent the growth of the destructive process. The higher the immunity, the greater the number of lymphocytes that protects the infection. Six months later, the destruction of surrounding tissues begins and a caseous-necrotic (destructive) component occurs. Intoxication is still mild.

1 year after infection, mininecrosis is observed with miniproliferation (proliferation of surrounding tissues), which is caused by each of the sticks that enter the body.

Intoxication is expressed, Mantoux is positive. Local forms of tuberculosis are manifested in children, as well as adolescents, which treatment helps prevent. A sick child should visit a pediatric TB specialist.

If the child’s tuberculosis subsides, on his organs (lungs, bronchi, intestines, bones, lymph nodes), where inflammation was previously localized, there remain points of caseous necrosis, which in later adulthood can cause newly developed tuberculosis. This trend is observed in 90% of cases.

Due to external factors that reduce the strength of the immune system, it begins to respond to the presence of mycobacteria in the body, sending there certain families of lymphocytes, namely macrophages. They begin to absorb harmful bacteria, but die, secreting special enzymes.

The latter thin the caseous tissue. With pulmonary tuberculosis, mycobacteria, tissues are secreted, and then into the surrounding space, and the patient becomes pathologically dangerous to other people.

The reverse development of the disease

The healing process occurs after treatment or without it, if the sick child has a sufficiently strong immunity. In this case, the decay cavity begins to decrease and close, being replaced by scars. The process subsides, and the infection stops its development (usually it occurs at 3 years, 4 and 5 years).

During the fight against MBT, lymphocytes begin to damage healthy tissues. In response, the body produces antipreases.

This process can be balanced, but if the immune system does not cope, then the cirrhotic form of pulmonary tuberculosis begins.

Primary and re-infection

Like an adult, childhood tuberculosis can take various forms, depending on the time it develops in the child. Each of the forms has its own subspecies, but not all of them develop in children or rarely develop. Therefore, we restrict ourselves to a description of the most common types of each form of tuberculosis in children and adolescents.

General symptoms

The first 1-2 weeks, the symptoms of an acute illness resemble the symptoms of a cold. If after 3 weeks they do not go away, there is a risk of developing the disease. The first 3 weeks, children suffer from a dry cough, but why does a wet cough with pinkish discharge begin.

Among the main signs of tuberculosis in children are:

Other symptoms that can be confused with other diseases include:

• with damage to the meninges, convulsions, headaches, vomiting are observed;
• intestinal tuberculosis is manifested by digestive disorders, vomiting, blood in the feces;
• tuberculosis of bones and joints causes pain in a state of motion, increases the risk of fractures and lameness;
• genitourinary tuberculosis reports pain in the lower back, fever, pain during urination and blood in the urine;
• the skin affected by the infection is compacted, the lymph nodes enlarge and rot, tearing the membrane.

How do ailments manifest in children?

Pulmonary tuberculosis in children of the primary form occurs in the vast majority of infected, as opposed to secondary, the occurrence of which in children is quite rare. For children under 2-4 years of age, pulmonary tuberculosis is especially dangerous and is much harder to tolerate than in adults.

In the period up to 4-7 years, the tendency to extensive infection is especially pronounced, since the effect of BCG vaccine is weakening by this time, therefore complications are often observed. Nevertheless, even in such conditions with primary tuberculosis there is a great chance of a reduction or complete disappearance of the focus.

Tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes refers to the primary infection. It is diagnosed in 80% of children with this disease. Specific changes are not very pronounced, therapy gives a positive trend. Tumor (tumor-like) form has a more severe course and is more common in young children (up to 4-6 years).

Secondary tuberculosis is diagnosed in adolescents not so often, as a rule, these are young people who have had primary infection in childhood. Usually it coincides with puberty and is diagnosed at 13-14 years. Symptoms coincide with the primary genesis. Infiltrative and focal pulmonary tuberculosis predominates.

Disseminated tuberculosis in children and adolescents is rare. It is preceded by a primary infection with a breakthrough in the bloodstream with sensitivity of the vascular system. The main reason for the appearance of this form is an endogenous decrease in immunity.

In early adolescence, the infection often proceeds in the form of miliary tuberculosis - this is a defeat of other organs along with the lungs.

The subacute form develops against the background of the subsidence of the primary infection, but sometimes it also manifests itself as a secondary form.

The chronic form of disseminated tuberculosis acquires fibro-tricky features, with seasonal exacerbations. Its outcome, as a rule, is unfavorable. Tuberculous pleurisy, also sometimes occurring as a complication of secondary tuberculosis in a teenager, may be a complication of tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes or a separate disease.

Separately, it should be said about extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Studies have shown that over the past 15 years, the percentage of extrapulmonary forms of the disease has decreased. In young children (from 1 to 5-7 years old), tuberculic meningitis and central nervous system tuberculosis are most often diagnosed, and in adolescents, tuberculosis of peripheral lymph nodes and the genitourinary system is diagnosed.

Treatment and prevention

Are vaccinated children at risk of infection? This vaccine does not protect the child from infection, but it significantly reduces this risk and does not allow the disease to pass from a closed form to an open one, and also helps to avoid serious complications in case of infection.

The attenuated virus vaccine allows the body to develop immunity without infecting the child. Many doctors recommend vaccinating children, despite the presence of preservatives in the vaccine.

There are two types of treatment for tuberculosis in children and adolescents:

How to treat a child if there is an infection with tuberculosis, the doctor should advise. It is noted that children who began to be treated promptly and correctly often recover, as tissue regeneration is faster.

The consequences of tuberculosis, if it was detected in the later stages, are very serious and can lead to serious complications and even death. The consequences of treating tuberculosis, sometimes lasting two to three years, can be either positive or negative. Chemotherapy in 15% of cases causes a side effect - toxic or allergic. Often, children at risk are affected by it - with chronic diseases, overweight, and a tendency to allergies.

The peculiarity of tuberculosis in children, first of all, is its danger to health. As mentioned above, in infants up to 5 years old, tubercle bacillus causes more complications than in older children. However, factors other than age are played by factors such as poor nutrition, lack of vitamins, stress, and lack of sleep.

In conclusion, I want to say that, despite the seriousness of this disease, there is always the opportunity to cure a child. The main thing is to constantly monitor his health, regularly conduct tests for tuberculosis, do not self-medicate and clearly comply with the recommendations prescribed by the doctor.

Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease that scares many people and makes them constantly undergo tuberculin diagnostics. An added concern is the fact that Koch's wand is capable of infecting not only adults, tuberculosis in children is also not uncommon. Moreover, children's pathology is much more complicated than an adult, therefore, having noticed its signs in children, parents should immediately consult a doctor. An unformed organism cannot adequately repel the disease, therefore, an infection affects the body tissues faster and more efficiently. To avoid complications of tuberculosis, pathology should be diagnosed as soon as possible and treatment should begin.

Infected children develop various symptoms and signs. The primary tuberculosis complex includes the so-called symptoms of intoxication. While the foci of the pathology have not yet become visible, the patient manifests tuberculous intoxication, and its intensity depends on the severity of the infection. If bacteria are just starting to spread throughout the body, then the infectious symptoms of tuberculosis in children are more pronounced.

Symptoms of intoxication include:

• general weakness;
• a slight increase in temperature over a long period of time;
• decreased appetite;
• causeless weight loss;
• constant feeling unwell;
• increased sweating;
• developmental problems;
• pale skin;
• disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which are manifested by increased effusion on the palms and soles of the feet, heart palpitations, sudden changes in mood.

Tuberculosis infection in children provokes a weak gradual development of manifestations of intoxication, which distinguishes it from acute respiratory viral infections, which require little time for severe manifestations of symptoms of intoxication.

Previously, pulmonary tuberculosis in children was accompanied by fever in its classical manifestation, but today the disease often proceeds without fever.

One of the very first symptoms to manifest is paraspecific reaction syndrome. Primary tuberculosis in children causes the body to produce special antibodies that make Koch's wand go from the blood to the macrophage system. Such cells are located in many organs of the person, therefore, symptoms often appear in different parts of the patient's body.

A para-specific reaction does not appear for long in the body, often such symptoms in children disappear after a couple of months. However, the disappearance of para-specific reactions does not mean getting rid of the disease, since it takes much longer to treat it.

The symptoms of early tuberculosis in children include the following changes in the body:

A true paraspecific reaction is not inflammation due to a tuberculosis infection, but a concentration in certain organs of the cells, which becomes a consequence of the entry of the causative agent of tuberculosis into the body.

The types of symptoms depend on the location of tuberculosis, the degree of spread of infection, and the presence of complications. Infection with a tuberculosis infection of different organs in children causes different symptoms.

A tuberculosis infection affects the work of the whole organism, but the main blow goes to the organ to which the infection spreads.

Tuberculosis has many forms that affect how the disease develops. Depending on the acquired form, various features of the pathology in children arise. Pathology of the primary form occurs in the first year after infection, although these terms are very blurry. If the period of development of primary tuberculosis is very short, then most likely the disease destroys the body too quickly. In most cases, harmful bacteria infect the lymph nodes, and it is the characteristics of this pathology, possible complications, and the duration of treatment that depend on the characteristics of this infection.

There are various types of tuberculosis in children, so consider the classification of tuberculosis:

1. Quite a common occurrence is tuberculous intoxication. This form appears at the initial stages of the disease, when the full foci of infection have not yet formed in the body. Lack of appetite is accompanied by a loss of appetite and a small, but constant increase in temperature in the evening. The patient often changes his mood, there is a rapid heartbeat and headaches. With any manifestations of tuberculous intoxication, the child's body is subject to a detailed study to identify infected areas.
2. Primary tuberculosis complex of the lung. Tuberculosis bacteria enter the lung tissue, forming a small inflammation, which becomes the focus of the disease. Over time, inflammation spreads to the area of \u200b\u200bthe intrathoracic lymph nodes. Most often, this form of pathology has good self-healing abilities. BCG vaccine can prevent the development of the outbreak, which is now generally available. According to statistics, vaccinated children are less likely to get sick with this form of pathology. Also, in the fight against tuberculous inflammation, natural resistance to the disease will come in handy.
3. Tuberculosis infection of the intrathoracic lymph nodes. Most cases of childhood tuberculosis are infections of the intrathoracic lymph nodes. When a small number of nodes are infected without particularly noticeable symptoms, the pathology passes in an uncomplicated form. During treatment, hyaline appears in the lymph nodes, and the dead tissue is replaced by calcareous capsules (calcifications). If the infection proceeds with complications, then the infection passes to nearby areas. In most cases, complications appear when a child is infected in the first years of life. This happens due to incompletely formed organs, undeveloped defense mechanisms, immature immunity. The clinical picture of such a disease is expressed quite clearly.
4. Tuberculous bronchoadenitis. The disease spreads to the visceral thoracic lymph nodes. Trachea and bronchial nodes are also infected. With this form of the disease, the lymph nodes of the root of the lung begin to become inflamed. At the beginning of the disease, the child develops intoxication syndromes, and with the development of pathology, the patient coughs in two tones due to compression of the bronchi. Toddlers often experience suffocation, supplemented by cyanosis, uneven breathing, bloating of the nasal wings and retraction of the space between the ribs. To facilitate the well-being of the child, the baby is placed on the stomach, and the infected lymph node moves forward.
5. Congenital tuberculosis. This form is extremely rare, but, nevertheless, such cases are known. Congenital pathology means that the fetus was infected during pregnancy from the mother. In most cases, a woman becomes infected during pregnancy, but sometimes a pathology transferred shortly before pregnancy affects the fetus. The baby has markedly difficulty breathing, lack of exercise, loss of appetite, fever, enlarged liver and spleen, and sometimes inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord.
6. Infiltrative tuberculosis. This form of the disease is secondary, inflammation appears on the lungs with the formation of infiltrates, and foci undergo caseous decay. The patient suffers from symptoms of intoxication, overheating of the body, intense coughing. Additional signs of infiltrative tuberculosis are pain in the side and blood spitting. Every second patient with this disease suffers from an acute form of the disease. Asymptomatic development of the disease also occurs, and transitional conditions are possible between these two options.
7. 
   Miliary tuberculosis. Such a diagnosis indicates an acute form of the disease. With miliary tuberculosis, capillaries first of all suffer, and then tubercles appear on the organs, and both lungs and other organs suffer from such pathology. Most often, this form is found in adolescents and children, and adults get it much less often. The main symptoms of miliary tuberculosis are a wet cough, persistent weakness in the body, shortness of breath and fever. These symptoms are intermittent and then worsen, then go into decline.
8. Tuberculous meningitis is characterized by inflammation of the meninges due to the ingestion of pathogens. This form is a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Symptoms of such a disease manifest themselves sharply, and from the beginning of infection to the full formation of the disease, meningitis does not show any signs. With the development of the disease, the patient begins to notice overheating of the body, headaches, vomiting, problems with cranial nerves, impaired consciousness and typical symptoms of simple meningitis. The neglected form often causes loss of consciousness and even paralysis.
9. Pulmonary tuberculosis is infrequent in children, most of the patients at the time of infection have already passed adolescence. Once in the lungs, the pathogen causes pneumonia. Inflammation causes fever and frequent coughing. Other symptoms depend on the extent and severity of the disease. It is difficult to cure this form of pathology, but the timely determination of the presence of the disease will greatly simplify the task. If a very small child becomes infected with pulmonary tuberculosis, then the infectious foci infect other organs of the child.
10. Tuberculosis of unspecified localization is assumed when the patient has tuberculous intoxication, but no local changes are observed. If doctors do not detect infection in any organs, it remains only to make such a diagnosis. Most often, this form of the disease is found in children due to the sensitivity of the body to allergic manifestations. Symptoms develop slowly and become chronic. Parents rarely notice the disease on time, so doctors have to treat an already neglected form. Also, such a diagnosis is possible with incomplete diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
11. Tuberculosis of the osteoarticular system. Such a disease is always accompanied by pulmonary tuberculosis. The disease affects the sprouting cartilage and affects the joints and spine. The patient develops purulent inflammation, accumulation of pus in the tissues, small but deep wounds, and paralysis is possible with compression of the spinal cord.
12. Kidney tuberculosis is one of the most common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The infection is brought in by blood with primary tuberculosis. First, the infection affects the brain layer, causing cavities and foci of decay, and then moves deeper into the kidneys and passes to neighboring organs. After getting rid of the disease, scars remain on the body.

With the development of local tuberculosis forms, an exacerbation of paraspecific reactions is observed. Also, pathology has a good potential for self-healing.

With the development of science and medicine, there are many ways to diagnose tuberculosis.

The most effective of them:

1. Mantoux test. For this diagnostic method, the test subject is injected with tuberculin, which contains a small amount of the disease strain. According to the reaction of the body, the doctor determines whether the patient's immunity is able to resist tuberculosis. A mantoux test is performed annually. Diaskintest is considered a good analogue of such a tuberculin test.
2. X-ray examination. Using special radiation, the equipment shows a multilayer image of the lungs.
3. X-ray study. In the case of positive results of the above research methods, radiography is prescribed. Such a diagnosis is needed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the form of the disease.
4. Bacteriological research. Using special equipment, the sputum of the patient is examined. In our country, such a diagnosis is not particularly popular, unlike Europe.
5. Bronchoscopy This procedure is difficult to carry out, but it gives very accurate results, so they are used mainly because of the vague results of other diagnostic methods.

To accurately determine the presence of a disease and its form, it is necessary to go through several methods for diagnosing a disease.

Tuberculosis Prevention in Children

Tuberculosis is an unpleasant pathology, and this concerns not only the consequences of the disease, but also contagiousness. This disease is transmitted in many ways, but the main method of infection is airborne. This feature makes even simple communication with an infected person dangerous.

Of course, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from tuberculosis infection, but there are some preventive measures that can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

These measures include:

• conducting tuberculin tests and vaccinations against tuberculosis;
• conversations on the danger of the disease and talk about the risks of contact with infected people;
• monitoring of children at risk (living in areas with a large number of infected or constantly in contact with a sick person);
• providing infected people with the conditions for treatment and limiting their communication with healthy children and adults.

The most effective tuberculosis prophylaxis is BCG vaccine and Mantoux test. Some parents, fearing complications after vaccination, refuse to give such children their injections. Such actions endanger not only the health but also the lives of children, and complications are extremely rare and in most cases do not pose a serious threat. Thus, vaccines have much more benefit than harm, and such measures have already saved many lives.

The causative agent of tuberculosis is Koch's bacillus, which penetrates the human body and begins to slowly destroy the infected system. In most cases, the bacterium enters the body by airborne droplets, but there are other ways for Koch's stick to infect humans. The main part of sick children was infected due to communication with a sick person due to the ingress of bacteria first into the air, and then into the respiratory tract.

There are also such causes of infection:

• through the digestive system due to food received from sick animals;
• conjunctival infection of the eye;
• transmission of the infection to the child from a pregnant woman through the placenta or due to damage to the placenta during childbirth.

There are also reasons that contribute to the development of the disease in children. Most often, it is weak immunity that allows infection to develop in the body.

Immunity becomes vulnerable due to the influence of such factors:

• congenital predisposition;
• chronic infections;
• stressful situations;
• malnutrition.

The causes of tuberculosis are various, but the risks of infection in children in adverse living conditions are much greater than in children from wealthy families.

Nowadays, treatment of tuberculosis in children takes place according to several scenarios. The doctor compares the degree of development of the disease, the state of the body and the possible consequences, choosing a more suitable method of treatment.

There are two types of treatment:

1. Chemotherapy treatment. If tuberculosis is detected, it is mandatory to take anti-TB drugs. Often, the patient takes several types of medications at once, which the doctor selects individually for each patient. The duration of chemotherapy varies depending on the form of the disease, the response of the body and the presence of complications. On average, therapy is carried out for six months, but there are cases when the patient takes medication for several years.
2. In advanced forms of tuberculosis, medical treatment alone is not enough, and then the patient undergoes surgical intervention. However, surgical removal of tuberculosis is not a substitute for drug treatment, they complement each other.

Treatment for a child is prescribed only by his doctor. Neglect of medical prescription leads to a slowdown in recovery, and sometimes negates all efforts, so parents are required to comply with all the recommendations of the doctor. Additional treatment methods are possible if they do not contradict medical prescriptions. So, some parents supplement the treatment with traditional medicine or prayer for tuberculosis.

Take the free online tuberculosis test

Time Limit: 0

Navigation (job numbers only)

0 out of 17 tasks completed

Information

You have already passed the test before. You cannot start it again.

The test is loading ...

You must login or register in order to start the test.

You must complete the following tests to start this:

results

Time is over

• Congratulations! The likelihood that you are more tuberculosis is close to zero.

  But do not forget to also monitor your body and regularly undergo medical examinations and you will not be afraid of any disease!
  We also recommend that you read the article on.

• There is reason to think.

  It is impossible to say with accuracy that you are ill with tuberculosis, but there is such a probability, if it is not, then something is clearly wrong with your health. We recommend that you immediately undergo a medical examination. We also recommend that you read the article on.

• Urgently consult a specialist!

  The probability that you are struck is very high, but it is not possible to make a diagnosis remotely. You should immediately contact a qualified specialist and undergo a medical examination! We also strongly recommend that you read the article on.

1. With the answer
2. With watch mark

1. Question 1 of 17

   1 .

   Is your lifestyle related to heavy physical exertion?

2. Question 2 of 17

   2 .

   How often do you take a tuberculosis test (e.g. mantoux)?

3. Quest 3 of 17

   3 .

   Do you carefully observe personal hygiene (showers, hands before eating and after walking, etc.)?

4. Question 4 of 17

   4 .

   Do you care about your immunity?

5. Task 5 of 17

   5 .

   Have your relatives or family members had tuberculosis?

6. Question 6 of 17

   6 .

   Do you live or work in an unfavorable environment (gas, smoke, chemical emissions from enterprises)?

7. Question 7 of 17

   7 .

   How often are you in a room with damp or dusty conditions, mold?

8. Question 8 of 17

   8 .

   How old are you?

Tuberculosis in children, like other diseases of an infectious and non-infectious nature, has a number of characteristic features that must be taken into account in order to recognize and cure the disease in time. In children, tuberculosis is more severe than in adults. This is due to the characteristics of the child’s immune system, which is not able to immediately limit the focus of infection.

Features of tuberculosis in children.

The development of this disease depends both on the characteristics of the microbe of the causative agent of the disease, and on the characteristics of the patient’s body. An important role is played by the immune status of the patient's body, how actively the body's immune system fights infection. The children's immune system is not finally formed and therefore its activity is reduced - this is an age-related feature of the child’s body. For this reason, the body of the child is more susceptible to various infections than the body of an adult. Weak immunity of children is the reason why tuberculosis in children is often extremely severe and occurs with many complications.

In children under 2 years of age, immediately after infection, a massive spread of infection is possible: miliary tuberculosis, tuberculous meningitis, tuberculous sepsis, etc. In older children, the immune system manages to localize the infection at the level of the lungs and therefore they often develop pulmonary tuberculosis.

Risk factors for infection and development of tuberculosis in children primarily include eating disorders, lack of vitamins, poor living conditions, and chronic overwork.
Symptoms of tuberculosis in children, as in adults, depend on the form of the disease and on the localization of the infectious process.
In uncomplicated pulmonary tuberculosis, the main symptoms of the disease are cough (more than 3 weeks), a prolonged increase in temperature, fatigue, decreased attention, lagging behind in studies, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Miliary tuberculosis or tuberculous meningitis is characterized by more pronounced symptoms of intoxication (impaired consciousness, high fever, signs of irritation of the meninges, shortness of breath).

We draw the attention of parents to the fact that the symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis of a child can be mistaken for symptoms of a common cold, acute respiratory infections, or bronchitis. In order to suspect tuberculosis, attention should be paid to the duration of the cough and temperature, as well as the general condition of the child (tuberculosis is characterized by the prolonged presence of cough and temperature).

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in children

Diagnosis begins with the elucidation of the main symptoms of the disease and the identification of signs of extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis (bone deformation, pain and swelling in the abdomen, etc.). The doctor pays attention to the weight of the child (tuberculosis is characterized by weight loss).
If there is a suspicion of tuberculosis, the child is sent for an additional examination: an X-ray examination of the lungs, a microscopic examination of sputum, a Mantoux skin test. Based on the data from these examinations, the doctor will be able to establish or refute the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
If the diagnosis of tuberculosis is confirmed, treatment of the child begins immediately.

Tuberculosis treatment in children

Treatment is carried out according to the same schemes and the same drugs as the treatment of tuberculosis in adults. Usually, children tolerate treatment well, and damaged lung tissue in children is restored much better than in adults.

Tuberculosis Prevention in Children

It includes two main areas: prevention of tuberculosis in children who did not have contact with patients with tuberculosis and prevention of tuberculosis in children who were in contact with patients with tuberculosis.
In the first case, the main measure of tuberculosis prevention is vaccination with BCG vaccine. The BCG vaccine contains live attenuated microbes (bovine type), which in their structure are very similar to the causative agents of tuberculosis. The vaccine is administered only intradermally 5 cm below the top of the shoulder. Vaccination provides the creation of protective immunity.

In the second case (children who were in contact with a patient with tuberculosis), the prevention of tuberculosis begins with the establishment of possible signs of the disease, after which the child is prescribed a course of preventive treatment (taking Isoniazid at 5 mg / kg for 6 months).