Hope someone in this news group can help
>From the information below I would be very grateful of any thoughts you may
have. I am the patient. From one xray and the information from the TB lab
reports below I was treated for Tuberculosis then Multidrug resistant
tuberculosis then Micobacteria Chelonei and finally told I need to have my
lung removed. Below are the lab reports from my first sputum
> Specimen/Site: Sputum Lab No:
> Details: Collect date: 21/02/2000
> Authorised by:XXXXXX 23/02/2000 Received: 21/02/2000
Appearance Mucoid Specimen
Culture 1. 3+ Normal upper respiratory tract flora
> Specimen/Site: Sputum for TB Examination Lab No:
> Details: Collect date: 21/02/2000
> Authorised by:XXXXXX 12/ 04 /2000 Received: 21/02/2000
Acid Fast Acid fast bacilli NOT seen
Culture 1 Microbacterium species
2 Culture sent for reference
>> Specimen/Site: AFB ID ( MYCOBACTERIA ) Lab No:
> Details: Collect date: 21/02/2000
> Authorised by:XXXXXX 15/05/2000 Received :12/04/2000
Refered to Mycobacterium ref Lab
Culture 1 Mycobacteriam Chelonei
2 This organism is a common enviromental saprophyte
>> Dated 15/05/2000 End of Report
>Note how many weeks this took to become positive.
>From the information given by these three microbiology reports of the same
sputum :
Question 1. From the results of this one sputum would you instigate a full
anti Tuberculosis treatment regime?
Question 2. Could it be inferred that this was a multi drug resistant strain
of microbacteria chelonei resistant to front line TB medication?
Question 3. In context to the above sputum what does "Normal upper
respiratory tract flora" mean?
Question 4. In context to the above sputum what does "Common enviromental
saprophyte" mean?
I gave three sputums dated 17th, 18th, 19th April all of which were negative
and yet by June I was told I was to have my lung removed. I stopped the
medication in August which consisted of usual front line TB drugs plus
ciprofloxacin 1000mg + clarithromycin 1000mg totalling 18 tabs per day. The
doctor however still insists I have chelonei and it is a matter of time
before I appear at hospital with symptons. This was over two years ago. Can
this be so? ANY help or advice would be helpful. I need to know asap. Please
answer my via my email if possible.
sr at kaysi.freeserve.co.uk
thank you for your time A very genuine enquiry
