Tuberculosis in Pregnancy

[摘要] Tuberculosis (TB) during pregnancy and in the perinatal period was once considered to be aninfrequent event in the United States. After a decade of steady decline, however, the disease hasbegun a resurgence. According to the CDC, a 20% increase in the number of reported casesoccurred between 1985 and 1992. The factors associated with this increase are the emergence ofhuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the development of drug-resistant organisms,substance abuse, homelessness, and immigration. Environmental factors promoting transmissioncan be found in overcrowded areas such as correctional facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, andmigrant-worker camps. For a large number of medically underserved women, the obstetrician isthe only interface with medical care, as most of these patients do not have primary-care providers.It is important, therefore, that health-care providers recognize the clinical symptoms of TB andfollow the recognized guidelines for antenatal screening for TB because the omission of these stepscan lead to potentially disastrous sequelae in the fetus and neonate.

[学科分类] 妇产科学