March 24, 2013

24th of March is known as World Tuberculosis Day, but the effort to communicate ways and means to comprehend how this disease affects us and what are the ways in which we can prevent the spread on a larger scale has to be magnified. Have you come across some people coughing in the bus or train while travelling? This question does not raise a pointer to suggest that the person may be suffering from Tuberculosis, but nevertheless it cannot be absolutely ruled out. It is true that common cold and cough is perhaps the last thing medical science will ever conquer, but it’s always good to be sound about the possibilities within.

Tuberculosis as a disease has many dimensions and often so it creates a scenario where complications occur. But it fascinates to know and realize that there are treatment protocols which simply need to be followed and it is because of this protocol following failure which increases the disease burden and causes treatment failure. Patient compliance plays saviour during the treatment too. A study thesis of a person known to me, pointed out that in a small defined area of Udupi, there are more than 38 regimens of treatment being followed by different doctors. This is a matter of growing concern to the medical community and also it’s something the patients should be aware of. There are other contributing factors of why it happens, but the fact that the guidelines laid down by RNTCP( Revised National TB Control Program) is being ignored paints a sorry shape to the whole story, in the bargain we sometimes may lose the battle against Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is caused by the infection Mycobacterium Tuberculosis of which the majority of cases occur in developing and poorer nations of the world. It is important to note that this infection occurs by inhalation of droplets from infected patients. This triggers series of changes in the lungs and begins the war towards destruction. The starting symptoms may be evening rise of fever associated with cough; there could be weight loss and general debility. Often it may go unrecognized for some days and may remain without any symptom which makes the diagnosis difficult. The global burden of Tuberculosis is more than one third of the world’s population and the efforts to reduce this are becoming a difficult battle. The complexity of this disease manifesting with other diseases is on the rise and it is seen in patients suffering from HIV and other immune-compromised states.

Dr Prashant Bhat, World Health Organization, RNTCP Consultant says that,  “Tuberculosis is  a major cause of worry and studies point to suggest that TB care is abysmally poor in meeting international standards protocols. There is a need for private practitioners to stick to set treatment pattern rather than give treatment as they feel like.”

The moral of the story which I intend to tell you is that Tuberculosis as a disease is perfectly and completely curable provided the medications are taken strictly without any compromise. It is requested not to follow Dr Google in this day of information overload as it may only end up confusing you more than convincing you.  A safe bet is to approach your doctor and stick to the advice he has to say.

It is my belief that if we stick our neck deep with RNTCP laid down guideline protocols and not experiment with the guidelines, we may not be able to wipe out Tuberculosis burden and its complications completely, but we can certainly create a better world to live in.