The technological imperative in tuberculosis care and prevention in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

A monocausal bacteriological understanding of infectious disease orients tuberculosis control efforts towards antimicrobial interventions. A bias towards technological solutions can leave multistranded public health and social interventions largely neglected. In the context of globalising biomedical approaches to infectious disease control, this ethnography-inspired review article reflects upon the implementation of rapid diagnostic technology in low- and middle-income countries. Fieldwork observations in Vietnam provided a stimulus for a critical review of the global rollout of tuberculosis diagnostic technology. To address local needs in tuberculosis control, health managers in resource-poor settings are readily cooperating with international donors to deploy novel diagnostic technologies throughout national tuberculosis programme facilities. Increasing investment in new diagnostic technologies is predicated on the supposition that these interventions will ameliorate disease outcomes. However, suboptimal treatment control persists even when accurate diagnostic technologies are available, suggesting that promotion of singular technological solutions can distract from addressing systemic change, without which disease susceptibility, propagation of infection, detection gaps, diagnostic delays, and treatment shortfalls persist.     

Some investigations into the nature and cause of massive fibrosis (MF) in the lungs of South African gold, coal, and asbestos mine workers

Samples from fibrotic lung lesions greater than 1 cm in diameter macroscopically (by definition, massive fibrosis; MF) were taken from the lungs of 9 randomly selected post-mortem cases of mine workers all showing a background of a pneumoconiosis. These samples were studied histologically, biochemically, and by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. As controls for the biochemical and X-ray diffraction investigations, nonfibrosed lung tissue was taken from the same specimens. The findings suggest that the higher quartz content may be the primary cause responsible for the MF formation in this series of cases, while other factors such as tuberculosis may play a part according to some relevant literature on MF. Although an area of MF appears macroscopically to be a solid lesion, on microscopy this is not the case and the lesion is composed of dense and sparse collagen bundles and cellular elements.     

对某高校肺结核患者的心理分析与疏导

目的 探讨肺结核患者的心理特征及相应的心理疏导方法.方法 采用追踪访问方法,对56例确诊肺结核患者进行交谈、观察,分析出不同的心理状态及相应的疏导方法.结果 肺结核患者有焦虑紧张心理21例,占37.5 %,为各种心理问题的首位;其次为抑郁孤独心理18例,占32.1 %;其他患者不同程度地存在着怨恨发泄、意志脆弱、轻视疾病心理和乐观心理.对患者采取有针对性的心理疏导措施,保证了短程督导化疗方案的有效落实,全部临床治愈.结论 肺结核患者的心理疏导对促进患者的治愈有重要意义.     

Pulmonary tuberculosis in patients treated with inhaled beclomethasone

Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) has been used with few side effects in the treatment of bronchial asthma for 2 decades. Until now the manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) in patients on inhaled BDP has not been reported. Eight patients with allergic asthma, of a total of 548 asthmatics (1.46%) seen over a 2-year period, developed active TB following the use of inhaled BDP. All were sputum-positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on smear and/or culture, all responded well to a combination of anti-TB drugs, and none showed evidence of immunological or pituitary-adrenal suppression. Two patients agreed to a repeat administration of BDP; both developed TB again within 2 weeks and are again on anti-TB treatment.     

非手术治疗脊柱结核疗效观察(附5例报告)

本文报道了非手术治疗脊柱结核的5例患者,利用抗痨药物和中药制剂综合治疗,最短9个月,最长18个月,均获痊愈。经过3～5年的追踪观察,未见复发。此种办法,对于不适合手术治疗的脊柱结核患者,提供了一条可行的治疗途径。     

An Unusual Form of Skin Tuberculosis Following B.C.G. Vaccination

A 25-year-old female has had brown to erythematous telangiectatic patches and grouped papules on her face, neck, arm, and trunk since childhood following B.C.G. vaccination. Histopathologically, the lesions consisted of hyperkeratosis, slight acanthosis, tuberculoid granulomas with some Langerhans type giant cells in the mid-dermis. Although various forms of cutaneous tuberculosis after B.C.G. vaccination have been reported, it was difficult for us to assign the patient's skin lesion to any specific disease entity. Remission of her cutaneous lesions occurred clinically and histopathologically after treatment with isoniazid and rifampin.     

成人结核性脑膜炎误诊原因分析

报告了成人结核性脑膜炎11例误诊,并收集国内报告的221例误诊病例,对结核性脑膜炎的误诊原因进行了综合分析。     

Oral tuberculosis associated with a treatment with anti-rheumatic drugs

BACKGROUND: The use of immunosuppressive medication is a dominant risk factor for infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Adalimumab [a human anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) monoclonal antibody] represent an important advance in the treatment of RA and has been recently come in use. TNF-alpha plays a role in the host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and notably in granuloma formation. Infections occur at a high rate among those who use one or the combination of the two medications. METHOD: We examined a female patient that was referred to our department for evaluation and treatment of a granular lesion on the soft palate and uvula, complaining of mild dysphagia. The patient was treated for 4 months with MTX and adalimumab for RA before the oral lesion appeared. RESULTS: The histopathological examination of a specimen of the oral lesion, taken by biopsy, showed a chronic inflammation characterized by tuberculous granulomas. Polymerase chain reaction test and culture of a new specimen was positive for M. tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic use of MTX or/and adalimumab for the treatment of RA or few others diseases, can cause oral tuberculosis.     

Perception and social consequences of tuberculosis: A focus group study of tuberculosis patients in Sialkot, Pakistan

Treatment defaulting is one of the major causes of the failure of TB control programs. In Bethania Hospital. Sialkot, defaulting rates are high: 72% for the standard 12 months course and 56% for the 8 months course. Attrition is especially important in the first weeks of treatment: < 70% of the patients start the 10th week of treatment. A focus group discussion study has been carried out to gain a better understanding of the impact of social stigmatization, treatment cost and pregnancy on defaulting. The study population consisted of 3 male and 3 female groups each with 8 hospitalized TB patients. The study shows that TB is perceived as a very dangerous, infectious and incurable disease. This perception has many social consequences: stigmatization and social isolation of TB patients and their families; diminished marriage prospects for young TB patients, and even for their family members; TB in one of the partners may lead to divorce. Due to fear patients often deny the diagnosis and reject the treatment. While both male and female TB patients face many social and economical problems, female patients are more affected. Divorce and broken engagements seem to occur more often in female patients. Females are usually economically dependent on their husbands and family in law, and need their cooperation to avail of treatment. The belief that pregnancy enhances the risk for relapse decreases their marriage prospects. Pregnancy is also a reason for stopping TB treatment as both are considered as incompatible. The findings of this study reveal the urgent need for a health education campaign to convince the general population that tuberculosis is curable. All health care providers should act as destigmatizers.