Delay in diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Study of factors related to patients and health care system

Year 2017, Volume: 07 Issue: 03, 119 - 124, 15.09.2017

Usman Ali Usama Bin Zubair Asma Ambreen Husnain Yousaf Fatima Kaleem Kanwal Khalil

https://doi.org/10.5799/jmid.367424

Cited By: 4

Abstract

Objective:
To find factors related with delayed diagnosis of
pulmonary tuberculosis in patients presenting to the hospitals of Rawalpindi.

Methods:
A cross sectional observation study was carried out in Benazir
Bhutto Hospital, District head quarter Hospital, Fauji Foundation Hospital,
Military Hospital and Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi from February 2016 to
September 2016. A total of one hundred ninety patients of pulmonary
tuberculosis were interviewed through convenient sampling by a formulated
questionnaire.

Results:
Mean total delay was 114.48 days whereas median total
delay was 53.5 days. Mean patient delay was 33.25 days and mean health care
delay was 81.23 days. On multivariate analysis unemployment was associated with
patients delay whereas healthcare delay was associated with smear negative TB
and patients self-realization that there is delay in diagnosis.

Conclusion:
This study shows that there is a long delay in the
diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in our country. Unemployment is main factor
related to patient delay. Improving TB knowledge and socio-economic status of
individuals may help in the earlier diagnosis. Adequate training of healthcare
workers in diagnosing smear negative TB and improvement in health care services
may also help to reduce the long healthcare delays. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 7(3):119-124

Keywords

delay; diagnosis; pulmonary tuberculosis

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