01-07 January 76th Tuberculosis Education and Propaganda Week, Denizli Provincial Health Directorate Tuberculosis Dispensary Tuberculosis Provincial Coordinator Dr. H.Betül Abdüloğlu pointed out that TB is a preventable and treatable disease and said that with early diagnosis, correct and regular treatment, patients can completely recover. Stating that TB disease is caused by a bacillus called “mycobacterium tuberculosis”, Provincial Tuberculosis Coordinator Dr. H.Betül Abdüloğlu stated that the disease is transmitted through the respiratory tract. Adding that the incidence of tuberculosis in Turkey in 2021 is 10.7 per hundred thousand, and in Denizli, the incidence in 2021 is 5.6 per hundred thousand.
“If the diagnosis is delayed, the person who gets sick in a year infects 10-15 people with this disease”
Making important statements about the disease, Abdüloğlu said, “Tuberculosis is not passed on from the family as genetic (hereditary). If left untreated, it can result in death. This microbe, which has been known to exist for thousands of years, is thrown into the air in droplets formed when sick people cough, sneeze and speak. Healthy individuals become infected by breathing in these droplets containing the tuberculosis bacillus. Not every person who is infected will develop the disease. Ingested bacilli remain dormant in the body without making the person sick, and they cause disease when the body's resistance drops. When the person infected with tuberculosis becomes sick when resistance decreases, if early diagnosis and treatment is provided, he/she completely recovers. If the diagnosis is delayed, the person who gets sick in a year transmits this disease to 10-15 people.
“Ultraviolet rays from the sun kill the tuberculosis microbe in a short time”
Stating that tuberculosis can be seen in every organ, Abdüloğlu emphasized that the symptoms of the disease in pulmonary tuberculosis can be grouped into two groups as general complaints and lung-specific complaints;
“The period with the highest risk of disease development is the first two years. The most risky people in terms of transmission are family members and close colleagues who have been in the same environment with the patient for a long time. There is no contamination with food utensils such as spoons, forks, glasses, clothes and sheets. Tuberculosis microbe can survive in the air for a long time in sunless environments. Ultraviolet rays from the sun kill the tuberculosis microbe in a short time. For this reason, environments where people live in large numbers, with insufficient ventilation and without sunlight are the most risky environments for contamination. General complaints; especially in the evening, fever, night sweats, weight loss, loss of appetite and weakness. Pulmonary-specific complaints include cough lasting more than two to three weeks, sputum production, spitting up variable amounts of blood, pain in the chest and back, shortness of breath, and hoarseness. Complaints usually begin mildly and progress slowly. Patients may attribute these complaints to other causes and apply to the doctor late. This situation causes the disease to spread further and further destruction of the involved organ.
“Our goal is to create a tuberless Denizli and a tuberless Turkey”
Emphasizing the importance of using regular medication in the treatment of the patient, Dr. Abdüloğlu said, “Meanwhile, the patient spreads bacilli around him and causes more people to become infected. The diagnosis of tuberculosis is made by demonstrating the TB microbe in the sputum. The patient's complaints and chest X-ray findings make it possible to suspect tuberculosis. Sputum or other materials taken from the patient are examined in the laboratory. The diagnosis is confirmed by the appearance of tuberculosis bacillus or the growth of bacillus in the culture. Tuberculin skin test (TDT), PPD, is a test that shows whether the person has encountered tuberculosis bacillus before. A person's PPD (+) does not mean that he has tuberculosis, it just indicates that he has encountered tuberculosis microbe. In the treatment of tuberculosis, it is very important to ensure that patients take medication regularly for at least six months. World Health Organization, In order to increase the success of treatment, it is based on the fact that patients with tuberculosis drink each dose of medication by a healthcare worker or a trained volunteer. "Directly Observed Treatment" is also applied in our country. Directly observed treatment not only ensures the recovery of the patient, but also provides the protection of the society by preventing contamination. Diagnostic procedures, treatment, medications and follow-up are free in tuberculosis dispensaries. Our goal is; It is to create a tuberless Denizli and a tuberless Turkey.” It not only ensures the recovery of the patient, but also provides the protection of the society by preventing contamination. Diagnostic procedures, treatment, medications and follow-up are free in tuberculosis dispensaries. Our goal is; It is to create a tuberless Denizli and a tuberless Turkey.” It not only ensures the recovery of the patient, but also provides the protection of the society by preventing contamination. Diagnostic procedures, treatment, medications and follow-up are free in tuberculosis dispensaries. Our goal is; It is to create a tuberless Denizli and a tuberless Turkey.”
