How long is a child with TB meningitis treated?

Treatment should include isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and either ethambutol or streptomycin. Total treatment should extend for 12 months.

What are the two criteria used to diagnose TB in children?

Children aged <15 years were eligible for the diagnostic study if they had a cough and at least 1 of the following: a household tuberculosis contact within the preceding 3 months, weight loss or failure to gain weight within the preceding 3 months, a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) to purified protein derivative ( …

What causes TB meningitis in children?

TB is spread from an adult, often with the most common form of TB – pulmonary TB. “It only takes a few droplets of a sneeze or cough for TB to spread from an adult to a child. TB will first go to the lungs and then spread to the brain, causing TB meningitis.”

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis in children?

Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child, and they depend on the child’s age. The most common symptoms of active TB in younger children include: Fever. Weight loss. Poor growth. Cough. Swollen glands. Chills.

Is it safe to test for TB in children?

TB skin testing is considered safe in children, and is preferred over TB blood tests for children less than 5 years of age. More: Testing for TB. All children with a positive test for TB infection, symptoms of TB, or a history of contact with a person with infectious TB disease should undergo a medical evaluation.

How to know if you have brain tuberculosis?

Common complaints include headaches, stiff neck, fever, weight loss, blurred vision, confusion, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and for spinal cord lesions – lower extremity weakness or bowel or bladder symptoms.

How does TB affect the immune system of a child?

The infected child’s immune system causes the TB bacteria to be inactive. For most people who are infected, the TB will be latent for life. This child would have a positive TB skin or blood test but a normal chest X-ray and no TB symptoms. They can’t spread the infection to others.