Tuberculosis

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Preparing for your appointment

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you suspect that you have tuberculosis, contact your family doctor, a general practitioner or your state health department. You may be referred to an infectious disease or lung specialist (pulmonologist).

You can help your doctor by being prepared with as much information as possible. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. In particular, ask if you should wear a face mask to your appointment.
  • Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
  • Write down key personal information, including your HIV status (if known), country of origin, any recent travel outside the United States, contact with people who may have tuberculosis, any past infection with TB, and any medical conditions or diseases you have.
  • Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
  • Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
  • Write down questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. For TB, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

  • What kinds of tests do I need?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • How long will my treatment last?
  • What can I do to stay on track with my treatment?
  • I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
  • Are there any restrictions that I need to follow, especially with respect to preventing the spread of infection?
  • Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
  • Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
  • Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
  • Will I work with a nurse or other health care provider to oversee my treatment?
  • What are the side effects of my treatment?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.

What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

  • When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
  • Have you been in contact with anyone who has TB?
  • Were you born in another country, or have you traveled in another country?
  • Have you ever had tuberculosis or a positive skin test in the past?
  • What kind of work do you do?
  • Do you use alcohol or recreational drugs?
  • What is your typical diet?
  • Do you have HIV infection or AIDS, cancer, diabetes or any other medical condition?
Tests and diagnosis Complications
References
  1. Riley LW. Microbiology and pathogenesis of tuberculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
  2. Pezzella AT, et al. Surgical aspects of thoracic tuberculosis: A contemporary review - Part 1. Current Problems in Surgery. 2008;45:675.
  3. Summary. In: WHO Report 2008: Global tuberculosis control - Surveillance, planning, financing. World Health Organization. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008. http://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/2008/summary/en/index.html.
  4. Bass JB Jr. Patient information: Tuberculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  5. Tuberculosis (TB). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/WhatIsTB/TBdefinitions.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  6. Tuberculosis. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=4294229&ct=5320855. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  7. Tuberculosis fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=4294229&ct=3052619. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  8. The difference between latent TB infection and active TB disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/LTBIandActiveTB.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  9. Tuberculosis (TB): Symptoms. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/symptoms.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  10. Tuberculosis: General information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/tb.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  11. Bass JB Jr. Risk factors for tuberculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
  12. Maartens G, et al. Tuberculosis. The Lancet. 2007;370:2030.
  13. Key points. In: WHO Report 2008: Global tuberculosis control - Surveillance, planning, financing. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/2008/key_points/en/index.html. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  14. Tuberculosis (TB): TB and HIV infection. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/tbHIV.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  15. Madariaga MG, et al. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121:835.
  16. Lew W, et al. Initial drug resistance and tuberculosis treatment outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:123.
  17. Fauci AS, et al. Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases research agenda and recommendations for priority research. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2008;197:1493.
  18. Tuberculosis (TB): TB definitions. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/WhatIsTB/TBdefinitions.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  19. Grant A, et al. Clinical review: Managing drug resistant tuberculosis. BMJ. 2008;337:a1110.
  20. Jeong YJ, et al. Pulmonary tuberculosis: Up-to-date imaging and management. American Journal of Radiology. 2008;191:834.
  21. Pediatric tuberculosis fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=4294229&ct=3052619. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  22. Diagnosis of tuberculosis disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/diagnosis.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  23. Catanzaro A. Rapid diagnostic tests for tuberculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
  24. Tuberculosis skin test fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060731&content_id={E017092A-511A-4871-8EAE-17988C696509}&notoc=1. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  25. Tuberculosis (TB): Diagnosis. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/diagnosis.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  26. TB skin test. Lab Tests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tb_skin/. Accessed Dec. 22, 2008.
  27. Zhang Y. Advances in the treatment of tuberculosis. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2007;82:595.
  28.  Menzies D, et al. Adverse events with 4 months of rifampin therapy or 9 months of isoniazid therapy for latent tuberculosis infection. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:689.
  29. HIV and tuberculosis fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060731&content_id=%7bA3132347-3F7C-4ED7-AB4C-34FBEE5B0D4C%7d&notoc=1.
  30. Tuberculosis and pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/pregnancy. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.
  31. Tuberculosis (TB): Prevention. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/prevention.htm. Accessed Dec. 20, 2008.

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Jan. 28, 2009

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