Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
An Unexpected Presentation of Tuberculosis in the Surgical Field with a Preventable Disease Transmission
School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Department of Surgery, Doctors Hospital, Augusta, GA, USA
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Summerville, Augusta, GA, USA
- 1 School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- 2 School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- 3 Department of Surgery, Doctors Hospital, Augusta, GA, USA
- 4 Department of Surgery, University Hospital Summerville, Augusta, GA, USA
Copy link · social · email
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) incidence within Healthcare workers remains one of the lowest occupation specific rates in the United States. We report a case of a 33-year-old African American male presented with a right chest mass and without fever, chills or cough. Bacterial and Fungal cultures were sent during the initial visit and were negative throughout the entire management of his care. After several months of surgical interventions, the patient appeared positive for TB; however a staff member contracted the disease. The patient was managed successfully with the four-drug regimen of Isoniazid, Rifampin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol and recovered well from his surgeries.
KeywordsTuberculosisTransmissionSurgical FieldPrevention
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015) Reported Tuberculosis in the United States. US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, Atlanta, GA.
- Jones, R.M. (2017) Burden of Occupationally Acquired Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Healthcare Workers in the USA: A Risk Analysis. Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 61, 141-151. https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxw015
- Nardell, E.A. (2016) Transmission and Institutional Infection Control of Tuberculosis. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 6, a018192. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a018192
- Memon, A.G., Naeem, Z., Zaman, A. and Zahid, F. (2016) Occupational Health Related Concerns among Surgeons. International Journal of Health Sciences, 10, 279-291. https://doi.org/10.12816/0048819
- Singh, D.D., Vogel, M., Müller-Stöver, I., Scheich, T., Winzer, M., Göbels, S., Hüttig, F., Heinrich, S. MacKenzie, G., Jensen, B., Reuter, S., Häusinger, D. and Richter, J. (2011) TB or Not TB? Difficulties in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in HIV-Negative Immigrants to Germany. European Journal of Medical Research, 16, 381-384. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-783X-16-9-381
- Dharmadhikari A.S., Mphahlele M., Stoltz A., Venter, K., Mathebula, R., Masotla, T., Lubbe, W., Pagano, M., First, M., Jensen, P.A., van der Walt, M. and Nardell, E.A. (2012) Surgical Face Masks Worn by Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 185, 1104-1109. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201107-1190OC https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201107-1190OC
- Sim, S.W., Moey, K.S.P. and Tan, N.C. (2017) The Use of Facemasks to Prevent Respiratory Infection: A Literature Review in the Context of the Health Belief Model. Singapore Medical Journal, 55, 160-167.