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Tuberculosis knowledge lacking
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Your doctor may not know how to identify tuberculosis without a test.
Johns Hopkins researchers asked 131 medical residents 20 questions about the contagious lung disease in a study published Thursday in medical journal BMC Infectious Diseases.
The median test score was 55 percent.
“Our results demonstrate that improved training is needed about how best to diagnose and care for people with latent and active TB,” said Dr. Petros Karakousis, lead author of the study.
An estimated 10 to 15 million people in the U.S. have the latent form of TB, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A person with latent TB shows no symptoms and is not contagious, but still carries a dormant version of the disease’s bacterium.
Without treatment, however, the bacterium may become active in its virulent and potentially lethal form, according to information from Johns Hopkins. While the disease is largely treatable, 662 people died of it in 2004.
The recent medical school graduates tested answered only 40 percent of the questions on latent TB correctly, and only 57 percent of them correctly on active TB, according to the study.
Some strains of the disease are extremely drug-resistant, such was the case of Andrew Speaker which gained international notoriety.
“Despite the poor results for trainees, people cannot assume that lack of comprehensive knowledge about tuberculosis leads to poor patient care,” Karakousis said. “Medical residents may be quick to consult experts in infection control, infectious diseases, or in pulmonary medicine to assist in diagnosis, isolation and treatment.”
aparchman@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
5:01 AM MST on Sat., Oct. 4, 2008 re: "Hammond student diagnosed with TB"
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12:09 PM MST on Wed., Aug. 6, 2008
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10:49 PM MST on Tue., Mar. 25, 2008
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3:22 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 24, 2008
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10:06 PM MST on Sat., Sep. 29, 2007
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Dwora,Dwora,respect ,respect ,respect said:
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Pampam,Pampam,respect ,respect ,respect said:
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Leon said:
Nevertheless, there does not seem to be vaccine available for kids. It is my guess that to make vaccination available we would be officially admitting that there is a problem, and this would offend the groups that are bringing TB into the area. As with other politically sensitive contagious diseases, hiding our heads in the sand seems the polite thing to do.
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Dorothy said:
Doesn't the Bay Area have the highest of TB cases in the country? and don't we take in a lot of illegals from mexico, central america, asia! 20 years ago this wasn't going on but now it is and whY? illegals! send them back before we all die of some disease
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Larry L said:
More of the unexpected benefits of rampant illegal immigration.
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Examiner Reader said:
Im a student at Towson and I never received an email. I check my account atleast twice a day and nothing there.
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