Abstract
SETTING: This study was conducted at a private tertiary hospital engaged with the TB control programme in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.OBJECTIVE: To assess the healthcare-seeking pathways, different delays and factors associated with delays among the patients who presented in the outpatient department with tuberculous lymphadenitis and pleuritis, the most common manifestations of extrapulmonary TB.DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted prospectively from April 2016 to August 2017.RESULTS: The median age of the 339 patients analysed was 22 years (IQR 17–30); tuberculous lymphadenitis was predominant in females (63%), while pleuritis affected more males (64%). Overall, 62% reported seeking care from healthcare providers before diagnosis, of whom 62% sought care from private facilities, 32% visited facilities >2 times and 8% visited traditional healers. Diagnostic delay was associated with tuberculous lymphadenitis, age 15–44 years, poor socio-economic status and poor TB knowledge.CONCLUSION: There was considerable delay in the management of extrapulmonary TB patients, and the health-system delay was the major contributor, leading to increased patient suffering. Efforts towards minimising health-system delay need to be prioritised for patient screening and diagnosis, with a feasible algorithm that is workable in resource-limited settings.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.