RD&E staff support World TB Day

The respiratory team at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital marked World TB Day 2016 on the 24th March by raising awareness about one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases.

Members of the team, including Respiratory/TB Nurse Specialist Ruth Unsworth, were on hand at an information stand in the hospital’s main concourse to answer questions and provide information about tuberculosis, also known as TB.

TB is a bacterial infection which usually affects the lungs, with symptoms including a persistent cough, weight loss, fevers and night sweats. It is highly infectious and is spread through inhaling droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is fully curable with a long course of antibiotics, however it remains an epidemic in many developing countries.

Although instances of the disease are relatively low in the South West, TB rates in England remain one of the highest in Western Europe and it causes  nearly one-and-a-half million deaths across the world each year.
World TB Day is a national campaign, organised annually by the Stop TB Partnership, to put an end to the spread of TB across the globe. In support of the annual campaign, the RD&E team were keen to promote increased awareness and education about TB and how it can be spread.

Respiratory/TB Nurse Specialist Ruth Unsworth, said: “NICE has recently published updated guidance to better treat and prevent TB. The guidance focuses on three key areas, one of which is education to increase TB awareness. We feel it is necessary to promote this at the RD&E as it is important that people understand about TB , to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of the infection early and therefore seek medical advice and receive treatment promptly.”

To find out more about World TB Day please visit www.stoptb.org