Journal of Paediatric Medicine & Surgery
Open Access

Tuberculosis (TB) in children is a global health issue. Despite the fact that the vast majority of cases occur in developing nations, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, rising rates have been documented in wealthy countries as well. Children's infection serves as a future reservoir of disease, causing severe morbidity and mortality. Many factors influence the development of latent infection or progressive disease after exposure, including age, immunological status, inoculation size, and host characteristics. Children are far more likely than adults to develop active disease, with the risk being highest in children under the age of two.

For unexplained reasons, pulmonary tuberculosis, the most frequent site of infection, often becomes symptomatic 4 to 12 months after exposure and is more common in newborns and adolescents than in children aged 5 to 10. After the age of three years, however, only 5% to 10% of children with latent infection would develop active disease. Indeed, intensive infection treatment in the early stages of disease can have a significant impact on future morbidity and widespread infection. Surgical complications of tuberculosis have been greatly minimised in North America as a result of efficient medical therapy and close monitoring.

The following are common themes in recent reports on the epidemiology of tuberculosis in developed countries: (1) immigrants and their children have the highest incidence of tuberculosis, (2) more serious disease occurs in young children, and (3) skin testing and screening are important in identifying children with tuberculosis. Antibiotic resistance is still a major issue, and it is nearly entirely due to insufficient treatment of adults with high bacterial loads. Despite this, the repercussions of contracting drug-resistant species are frequently experienced by youngsters.

Because primary pulmonary tuberculosis, or "primary complicated," is a disease of the lymphatic system, it varies from adult tuberculosis. Primary tuberculosis causes atelectasis, persistent infection, and bronchiectasis in the lungs due to blockage or damage to the major airways. Except for the Ghon complex, most primary infections resolve without leaving any persistent lesions in the lungs. The primary lesion's healing is thought to be linked to a positive hostorganism balance, which has been attributed to either a high natural host resistance or a low initial inoculating dosage.

If the main infection is not controlled, tuberculous pneumonia advances to caseation, which is commonly accompanied by pleural effusion. Fever, cough, and hemoptysis are some of the clinical symptoms. Any child with a chronic cough, a history of contact with an adult with tuberculosis, failure to thrive, or an inability to recover from infection despite good treatment should be suspected of having tuberculosis.

Due to the slow growth of organisms in culture, diagnosing tuberculosis is challenging. Sputum, bronchial washings, stomach aspirates, and other infected material can all be used to isolate Mycobacterium tuberculi in the locations where tuberculosis is not endemic, a combination of known contact with a tuberculosis-exposed person, a positive tuberculin skin test, and radiographic abnormalities is typically sufficient. This may be more difficult in endemic places. The blood interferon-release assay is another innovative diagnostic test.