Scenario: You are a medical assistant at a local hospital. You have been asked to give a presentation on the diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. The presentation will be open to the public so instead of presenting a real patient case, you decide to create a fictional sample case.
Create a single case and list the characteristics of the person you will be testing and treating. Describe basic information about the patient including age, sex, lifestyle, and pertinent medical history.
Take the audience through the typical diagnosis and treatment of TB. (See page 4 of the Latent Tuberculosis Infection guide below for two sample scenarios leading to latent TB.) Describe the person and their experience including their feelings and concerns at this time. Hospital personnel should leave the presentation understanding the physical and psychological consequences for the patient.
Considering the research data available, answer these questions about your fictional patient with latent TB:
Without treatment, what is your patient’s lifetime risk for TB reactivation?
Your case patient has reported or has been diagnosed with another risk factor of developing active TB infection (e.g. – diabetes, HIV, organ transplant). How much does this factor increase their risk? Does it change the recommended treatment for this patient?