Chapter 91 – Mycobacteria
Keith F. Woeltje, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Infectious Diseases Division
Washington University School of Medicine
Medical Director
Infection Prevention Consortium
BJC HealthCare
St. Louis, Missouri
Abayomi Agbebi, MD
Clinical Fellow in Infectious Diseases
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri
ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacteria tuberculosis, remains a significant infection in the United States and around the world. It is spread primarily through the air. Infection prevention measures must therefore focus on promptly identifying patients who may have TB, placing them in appropriate isolation rooms, ensuring that proper precautions are followed, and initiating appropriate treatment. When active, TB usually causes pulmonary disease, which is often diagnosed using acid-fast smears and culture. Patients with active TB must be treated for long periods with multiple antimycobacterial drugs. Many persons infected with TB have no signs and symptoms and are said to have latent TB infection (LTBI). The tuberculin skin test remains the primary test for detecting LTBI; however, a blood assay for M. tuberculosis (BAMT) was newly approved. Persons with LTBI may warrant treatment to prevent the development of active disease.
Last Revised: 12/13/09 11:22 PM
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