title: Tuberculosis--the threat re-emerges.
abstract: Tuberculosis remains a significant problem in Australia with five to six new cases per 100,000 of the population per year. The majority of cases occur in individuals born outside Australia. Approximately 70% is pulmonary disease and 30% nonpulmonary. Diagnosis can be made by history, clinical examination, Mantoux testing, chest X-ray plus a thoracic CT scan and sputum analysis. Occasionally bronchoscopy and/or fine needle aspiration biopsy may be indicated. Six months of appropriate supervised chemotherapy achieves a 98% cure. Healthcare workers are at special risk of infection and should have Mantoux testing; if this is negative then either BCG or regular Mantoux surveillance is recommended. Whilst multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is relatively uncommon in Australia, it is a significant problem in the United States and parts of South East Asia and such patients often come to surgical resection of their tuberculous lesions; during such resection healthcare workers are exposed to a potentially lethal infection.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Unit, Concord Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Breslin
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D001315:Australia; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D010808:Physical Examination; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000517:prevention & control; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents