To Evaluate the Clinical and Laboratory Profiles of Patients with Abdominal Tuberculosis in Western Odisha

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) complex bacteria, is one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans and the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Milk contaminated with Mycobacterium bovis (reservoir cattle) can transmit tuberculosis to the gastrointestinal tract. TB can affect any portion of the digestive tract, from the buccal cavity to the anus, pancreato-biliary tree, and peritoneum. The peritoneum and ileocecal regions were most frequently affected. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory profiles of patients with abdominal tuberculosis. Materials & Methods: The current study was conducted at the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, located at 21.5027 o N and 83.8865 o E in western Odisha, India, after receiving approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Outdoor (OPD) and indoor (IPD) patients of the Division of General Medicine, VIMSAR, Burla The duration of the research was from November 2019 to October 2021 (24 months). This was a cross-sectional study. All patients were admitted to the Department of General Medicine with suspected abdominal tuberculosis. Results: The distribution of socioeconomic status in the study population according to the modified Kuppuswamy scale was predominated by the upper lower class IV population (60.3%), followed by the lower middle group (26%); only 13.7% belonged to class II of the upper middle group. The residential patterns showed that 74% of the cases belonged to the rural population, whereas only 26% lived in urban areas. Anemia was the major finding in comments on peripheral smear examination in 74.2% of the population and pancytopenia in 10.6% of cases. A minimum number of patients (4.5%) had a normal peripheral smear. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate by the Westergren method was increased in 87.7% of cases, and the rest of the population was within the normal range. Conclusion: This study has once again shown how common tuberculosis is in our country, particularly in underdeveloped Western Odisha, due to lack of hygiene and poverty. Abdominal tuberculosis has undergone modification over time because of the rampant and improper use of antibiotics and other drugs, thus creating a clinical dilemma. The irregularity of daily drug intake is another factor leading to the emergence of drug-resistant organisms.