Circumstances Surrounding The Issue Tuberculosis was once a disease that implied death. Tuberculosis is the most common bacterial infection in the world and is highly communicable. With today’s medical advances, people now A higher rate of survival than ever. These miracle medicines have saved many lives and will continue to do so for years to come. Although these antibiotics are life savers and do cure the illness, the outcome depends on many circumstances. The wellness of the people infected depend on medication compliance, the poverty of the people and the availability of medical treatment. Individual/ Societal Impact of the issue Each individual that is infected with tuberculosis is impacted greatly. These people will often have …show more content…
One of which is that each person should have the right to remain free from exposure to this illness and medical treatment should be readily available. The infected person is not the only one affected by the illness. The entire population that surrounds this person is at risk. People in third world countries are being diagnosed with TB and are not being treated for it. The medical treatment or infection control programs for TB are not available any many people are dying. In the US, noncompliance to the medicine regimen is a legal issue. Many people do not take the medicine as it is intended to be taken or refuse to take it. If the medication is not being taken correctly, resistance to the antibiotics may occur. If they are not taking the medication as MANAGEMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS prescribed the illness is not being treated. This is putting the public at risk. The people that are being noncompliant, or may not betaking the medicine correctly can be taken to court. This person may be ruled to be a risk to the public, and can be sentenced to forced medical …show more content…
Many people may practice a religion that is against medical treatment. If this person is reported to be ill with TB symptoms they may be deemed a threat to the public and forced to seek medical treatment against their will. If these people are forced on medications they may feel demoralized. This will go against their religion, morals, and values they have known most of their lives. Many of these people may be shamed by their religious communities only because they sought medical help. Even if the medical treatment may prevent death and further spread of the illness to others, many religions do not view the situation in that manner. Incorporation into Nursing Practice As nurses we are also educators. Education is a huge role in the compliance of tuberculosis treatment, and this is an important responsibility in the nursing practice. It is important to insure that the patient understands how to adhere to the medical regimen and to be able to communicate to the patient/family on their cognitive level. It is also crucial to implement infection control per protocol to eliminate the spread of this highly communicable illness. Nurses must be able to identify the signs and symptoms and do an adequate assessment of the patient. We must be able to detect these symptoms