Factors Affecting Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary and Extra pulmonary Tuberculosis in Qom Province during the 2011-2017

Abstract

According to the world health organization (WHO), approximately one-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is at risk of contracting tuberculosis. About 9 million people are infected with active tuberculosis each year, and 3 million die from the disease. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment at the beginning of tuberculosis play an essential role on controlling this disease. Delays in diagnosis and treatment may worsen the disease, increasing the risk of mortality, and transmission within the community. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the delay in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis in Qom province, Iran. This work was an observational cross-sectional observational study with available sampling. The findings were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. The results demonstrated that the mean time of diagnosis in Qom province was longer compared with that of the other similar studies. The mean time of delay in referring patients are to medical centers was only significantly related to gender (female) (p = 0.8). Non-Iranian nationality, negative smear, extra pulmonary tuberculosis, body mass index more than 25. Also it was found that, improving the knowledge of health center staff about the diagnosis and increasing the public awareness regarding the symptoms of tuberculosis can play a significant role in reducing the time of diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis.