Tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon diagnosis to make in General Practice in the UK, but one of great importance due to its public health implications and the fact that it is a condition that GPs will be seeing more of due to increasing prevalence from migration and rising human immunodeficiency virus rates. This article summarizes the role of the GP in diagnosis, management and prevention of TB in the community.
Cellestis. Quantiferon® TB-Gold (2008) Accessed via www.cellestis.com [date last accessed 20.03.2009]
3.
Chest Medicine Online Frequently asked questions about BCG (2006) Accessed via priory.com/cmol/bcg.htm [date last accessed 14.02.2009]
4.
ColditzG., BrewerT., BerkeyC.Efficacy of BCG vaccine in the prevention of tuberculosis; meta-analysis of the published literature. Journal of the American Medical Association (1994) 271: p. 698–702
5.
ComstockG., LivesayV., WoolpertS.The prognosis of a positive tuberculin reaction in childhood and adolescence. American Journal of Epidemiology (1974) 99: p. 131–38
LeonardM., OsterholtD., KourbatovaE., Del RioC., WangW., BlumbergH.How many sputum specimens are necessary to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis?American Journal of Infection Control (2005) 33 (1): p. 58–61
10.
MacdonaldB.The plague and I — a humorous tale about the author's experience of being quarantined in a sanatorium with TB in the 1930s before anti-tuberculous medication (1994) Winchester: George Mann Books
NICE Tuberculosis — clinical diagnosisand management of tuberculosis and measures for its prevention and control (2006) Accessed via www.nice.org.uk/CG033NICEguideline [date last accessed 03.02.2009]
Project London. Accessed via www.medecinsdumonde.org.uk/projectlondon/ This is an advocacy project providing information, advice and practical assistance to vulnerable people, to help them access NHS and other services
16.
RangH., DaleM., RitterJ.Antibacterial agents in pharmacology (1995) London: Churchill Livingstone
SharmaS., MohanA.Review article; Extra-pulmonary TB. Indian Journal of Medical Research (2004) 120: p. 316–353
20.
SutherlandI.Recent studies in the epidemiology of tuberculosis, based on the risk of being infected with tubercle bacilli. Advances in Tuberculosis Research (1976) 19: p. 1–63
21.
TB Alert Accessed via www.tbalert.org — Aims to increase awareness of TB in the UK and worldwide. Aims to raise funds to support work against TB in the countries most affected
22.
World Health Organisation Tuberculosis Fact sheet N°104-Global and regional incidence (2006) Accessed via www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/ [date last accessed 04.02.2009]
23.
World Health OrganisationPursue high-quality DOTS expansion and enhancement (2009) Accessed via www.who.int/tb/dots/en/ [date last accessed 15.01.2009]