A few weeks ago I had to undergo a routine Tuberculosis (TB) test. I figured the results would be no different than the other 2 I had had throughout my time working at the hospital (Are you sensing foreshadowing?). After the standard 48 hours post-inoculation I went back to the NP and low and behold my PPD test is positive. Positive?! Really? All I could think was this is so lame. Than again, I DO work in a hospital, with more than a healthy dose of sick patients from all over the place. Frankly, I am surprised my PPD test didn't come out positive within my first year working at the hospital. But whatev. In order to verify this, though, I had to have a chest x-ray to have my lungs checked to see if I actually had been exposed to TB and how severe the exposure was. Before you start to panic of me having TB and spreading it to the masses, as it is highly contagious, turns out I have latent TB, an inactive form of TB that is not contagious.
There is a stat that states that 10% of people with latent TB can develop active TB, which can be spread to others through coughing, talking, and even laughing. Okay? So do I just wait for this to happen while the latent TB stews in my lungs?
Fear not! There is hope for people like myself. There is a preventative treatment called Isoniazid (INH), that can be taken orally for a suggested 9 month period. Unfortunately though, treatment is not as easy as it sounds. INH can be toxic to the liver, so very very little to no drinking while on the treatment plan. In all honesty, life could be worse.
It was suggested to me that I start this blog to document my trials and tribulations while on this 9 month health adventure. I also thought this would be a good soapbox to educate the people on TB. I have learned more about this infection than I ever would have thought. For example...TB didn't die off when the American Settlers did. Go figure. It is alive and breeding all over the city I reside in, obviously. Gross.
So onward we will go with the preventative process.
1 comment:
Hey girl I have been checking out the isoniazid pill. It seems adverse reactions include rash, abnormal liver function tests, hepatitis, sideroblastic anemia, peripheral neuropathy, mild central nervous system (CNS) effects, drug interactions resulting in increased phenytoin (Dilantin) or disulfiram (Antabuse) levels and intractable seizures (status epilepticus). Headache, poor concentration, poor memory and depression have all been associated with isoniazid use. The frequency of these side effects is not known, and the association with isoniazid is not well validated. On the other hand, all patients and health-care workers should be aware of this serious adverse effect, especially if suicidal thinking or behavior occurs.
So be careful not to get rashy,yellow or sucidal..
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