Hospital Infection Control for Tuberculosis in an Infant and His Mother

Abstract

A 10-month-old male was transferred to our hospital because of fever, convulsion, and exacerbation of hydrocephalus. Although acid-fast bacilli smear of blood, spinal fluid, gastric juice, and intratracheal sputum was negative, image analysis strongly suggested miliary tuberculosis with meningitis. We isolated the patient and initiated treatment for tuberculosis. The patient's mother reported a history of tuberculosis in her childhood and respiratory symptoms. She was diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis on the patient's fourth day of hospitalization. Confirmation of the diagnosis of tuberculosis in the child required 3 weeks. This case of tuberculosis in an infant and his mother yielded the following lessons: Prompt isolation of the patient is important even prior to a confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis. A precise history of the patient's family members is required because of their potential as a source of infection. Tuberculosis-positive family members are a potential source of hospital infection because they are often present with the child in the hospital.