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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you suspect that you have tuberculosis, contact your family doctor or your state health department. You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in infectious disease or lung diseases (pulmonologist).
What you can do
Before your appointment, you might want to write a list containing the answers to the following questions:
- What are your symptoms and when did they start?
- Were you vaccinated against tuberculosis as an infant?
- Have you ever had tuberculosis or a positive skin test in the past?
- Have you ever taken medicine for TB? If so, what kind and for how long?
- Do you have other health problems?
- What medications and supplements do you regularly take?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor may ask some of the following questions:
- Does anyone you know have active tuberculosis?
- Do you have HIV or AIDS?
- Were you born in another country, or have you traveled in another country?
- Have you ever lived with someone who had tuberculosis?
- What kind of work do you do?
- Do you use alcohol or recreational drugs?
- Questions and answers about tuberculosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/faqs/pdfs/qa.pdf. Accessed Nov. 18, 2010.
- Iseman MC. Tuberculosis. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/225812607-4/1080378836/1492/1198.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50350-5_14828. Accessed Nov. 18, 2010.
- Fort GG, et al. Tuberculosis, pulmonary. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0195&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1085763505&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0195&uniqId=227265748-6#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0195. Accessed Nov. 18, 2010.
- Horsburgh CR. Epidemiology of tuberculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 18, 2010.
- Pasipanodya J, et al. Tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00004-1--sc0110&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00004-1--s1380&uniqId=230355386-4. Accessed Nov. 23, 2010.
- Fort GG, et al. Tuberculosis, miliary. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0190&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1085763505&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0190&uniqId=227265748-6#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00029-9--sc0190. Accessed Nov. 18, 2010.
- Bernardo J. Diagnosis of tuberculosis in HIV-seronegative patients. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Staying on track with TB medicine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/pamphlets/TB_trtmnt.pdf. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
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