Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease caused by the bacillus mycobacterium tuberculosis, often accompanied by fever and a loss of appetite. It is primarily an infection of the lungs, but any organ system is susceptible, so its manifestations may be varied.

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Tuberculosis

exposure to

Health care; Tuberculosis

The status of the exposure of something (e.g., infectious organisms) which can have a detrimental effect. A person exposed to m. tuberculosis does not necessarily have to be infected (see the ...

Positive sputum smear

Health care; Tuberculosis

AFB are visible on the sputum smear when viewed under a microscope. Persons with a sputum smear positive for AFB are considered more infectious than those with smear-negative sputum.

TB infection

Health care; Tuberculosis

A condition in which living tubercle bacilli are present in the body but the disease is not clinically active. Infected persons usually have positive tuberculin reactions, but they have no symptoms ...

Sputum

Health care; Tuberculosis

Phlegm coughed up from deep within the lungs. If a patient has pulmonary disease, an examination of the sputum by smear and culture can be helpful in evaluating the organism responsible for the ...

Sputum induction

Health care; Tuberculosis

A method used to obtain sputum from a patient who is unable to cough up a specimen spontaneously. The patient inhales a saline mist, which stimulates a cough from deep within the lungs.

TB case

Health care; Tuberculosis

A particular episode of clinically active TB. This term should be used only to refer to the disease itself, not the patient with the disease. By law, cases of TB must be reported to the local health ...

Specimen

Health care; Tuberculosis

Any body fluid, secretion, or tissue sent to a laboratory where smears and cultures for M. tuberculosis will be performed (e.g., sputum, urine, spinal fluid, and material obtained at biopsy).