High incidence of disease and death
According to Dr. Le Huong Ly - General Internal Medicine Department of Thu Duc City Hospital, lung cancer is still a major challenge for Vietnam's public health. With a high rate of disease and death, raising awareness of early detection, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of tuberculosis is an urgent issue.
The most typical symptom of tuberculosis is a cough that lasts for more than 2 weeks, especially a cough with phlegm or cough in the blood, unlike common respiratory diseases that usually cause a cough for less than 2 weeks, often go away on their own.
People need to pay special attention to signs such as mild afternoon fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, chest pain when breathing deeply, and prolonged difficulty breathing. People with a history of exposure to tuberculosis or living in an environment at high risk should be especially vigilant against these symptoms.
Tuberculosis is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract when the patient coughs, sneezes, talks or slurred. Tuberculosis bacteria can stay in the air for many hours, especially in less well-ventilated places, causing a higher risk of infection. This is the most common route of transmission, accounting for more than 90% of tuberculosis cases.
Challenges from drug-resistant tuberculosis
Doctor Huong Ly said that with a standard treatment regimen, the treatment period for tuberculosis usually lasts 6 months. However, the Ministry of Health has updated a new 4-month shortening schedule for some cases, especially in children with mild injuries and negative tests.
"After-hand treatment is a decisive factor for success. At the same time, patients must take the right dosage, regularly and for the required time, and not stop taking medicine without permission even though symptoms have improved," Dr. Ly emphasized.
Anti-drug resistance is a major challenge in tuberculosis control in Vietnam. The main causes are improper use of drugs, inappropriate treatment regimens, and infection with resistant tuberculosis from others.
This not only increases treatment costs many times but also prolongs treatment time, increases the risk of serious side effects, and reduces the rate of successful treatment.
Doctor Huong Ly recommends that each person should equip themselves with basic knowledge about tuberculosis to proactively prevent and detect it in time. At the same time, the health system needs to continue to promote proactive detection strategies, timely treatment and effective management of tuberculosis patients.
