NR 293 Pharmacology For Nursing Practice Case Study 18
Tuberculosis
Case Study 18 Tuberculosis
Scenario You are a public health nurse working at a county immunization and tuberculosis (TB) clinic.
B.A. is a 51-year-old woman who wishes to obtain a food handler's license and is required to show proof
of a negative Mantoux (purified protein derivative [PPD]) test result before being hired. She came to your
clinic 2 days ago to undergo a PPD test for TB. She has returned to have you evaluate her reaction.
1. What is TB, and what microorganism causes it?
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious illness caused by the airborne bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis..
The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney,
spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related
conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.
2. What is the route of transmission for TB?
TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air
when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may
breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening people at high risk
for TB. List five populations at high risk for developing active disease.
• People with HIV infection
• People who became infected with TB bacteria in the last 2 years
• Babies and young children
• People who inject illegal drugs
• People who are sick with other diseases that weaken the immune system
4. Describe the two methods of TB screening.
There are two kinds of tests that are used to detect TB bacteria in the body: the TB skin test (TST) and
TB blood tests. A positive TB skin test or TB blood test only tells that a person has been infected with TB
bacteria. It does not tell whether the person has latent TB infection (LTBI) or has progressed to TB
disease.
The TB skin test is also called the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST). A TB skin test
requires two visits with a health care provider. On the first visit the test is placed; on
the second visit the health care provider reads the test.
TB blood tests are also called interferon-gamma release assays or IGRAs. Two TB blood
tests are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available in
the United States: the QuantiFERON®–TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) and the T-
SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot).
5. How do you determine whether a Mantoux test result is positive or negative?
• Positive skin test: This means the person’s body was infected with TB bacteria. Reading
the result of a TB skin test. Additional tests are needed to determine if the person has
latent TB infection or TB disease.
• Negative skin test: This means the person’s body did not react to the test, and that latent
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, NR 293 Pharmacology For Nursing Practice Case Study 18
Tuberculosis
TB infection or TB disease is not likely.
6. What additional information do you need to obtain from B.A.?
This study source was downloaded by 100000832558064 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 01:47:19 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/21007412/Case-Study-18-Tuberculosis-Student/
Tuberculosis
Case Study 18 Tuberculosis
Scenario You are a public health nurse working at a county immunization and tuberculosis (TB) clinic.
B.A. is a 51-year-old woman who wishes to obtain a food handler's license and is required to show proof
of a negative Mantoux (purified protein derivative [PPD]) test result before being hired. She came to your
clinic 2 days ago to undergo a PPD test for TB. She has returned to have you evaluate her reaction.
1. What is TB, and what microorganism causes it?
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious illness caused by the airborne bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis..
The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney,
spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related
conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.
2. What is the route of transmission for TB?
TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air
when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may
breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening people at high risk
for TB. List five populations at high risk for developing active disease.
• People with HIV infection
• People who became infected with TB bacteria in the last 2 years
• Babies and young children
• People who inject illegal drugs
• People who are sick with other diseases that weaken the immune system
4. Describe the two methods of TB screening.
There are two kinds of tests that are used to detect TB bacteria in the body: the TB skin test (TST) and
TB blood tests. A positive TB skin test or TB blood test only tells that a person has been infected with TB
bacteria. It does not tell whether the person has latent TB infection (LTBI) or has progressed to TB
disease.
The TB skin test is also called the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST). A TB skin test
requires two visits with a health care provider. On the first visit the test is placed; on
the second visit the health care provider reads the test.
TB blood tests are also called interferon-gamma release assays or IGRAs. Two TB blood
tests are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available in
the United States: the QuantiFERON®–TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) and the T-
SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot).
5. How do you determine whether a Mantoux test result is positive or negative?
• Positive skin test: This means the person’s body was infected with TB bacteria. Reading
the result of a TB skin test. Additional tests are needed to determine if the person has
latent TB infection or TB disease.
• Negative skin test: This means the person’s body did not react to the test, and that latent
This study source was downloaded by 100000832558064 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 01:47:19 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/21007412/Case-Study-18-Tuberculosis-Student/
, NR 293 Pharmacology For Nursing Practice Case Study 18
Tuberculosis
TB infection or TB disease is not likely.
6. What additional information do you need to obtain from B.A.?
This study source was downloaded by 100000832558064 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 01:47:19 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/21007412/Case-Study-18-Tuberculosis-Student/
