ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a 17-year-old college student who presented with a two months' history of cough and was diagnosed with sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). It provides a discussion on clinical management, prevention, epidemiology, biology, and pathology of this case. Infection control in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is complicated by the difficulties in assessing infectiousness and infectious periods and the potentially more serious consequences of transmission events. Most MDR-TB cases are diagnosed in adults, however it is possible that there is under-ascertainment of paediatric MDR-TB, because of the difficulty of diagnosis or obtaining specimens. Measures of infection control for MDR-TB will follow similar principles to drug-sensitive TB, although it may need to be adhered to more rigorously because of the serious consequences of transmission. MDR-TB patients might require prolonged isolation, and good, early patient communication is key to ensuring adherence to treatment and infection-control requirements.
