Evaluation of Patients with Tuberculosis and Their Contacts That are Registered to Antalya Tuberculosis Dispensary

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) patients living in the city of Antalya, and to evaluate the service quality supplied by Antalya Tuberculosis Dispensary by investigating the scanning results of these patients and their contacts. The files of patients who had been diagnosed as TB and treated between 1999 and 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 720 TB patients from which 230 were diagnosed in 1999, 242 in 2000 and 248 in 2001 were included in the study. Data was retrieved from patients’ files. Five-hundred and ten (70.8%) of the TB patients were male and 210 (29.2%) were female and the mean age was 37.63 ± 15.38 years. Five-hundred and seventy-eight (80.3%) patients had pulmonary TB, 40 patients had (5.6%) had TB lymphadenitis, 29 patients had (3.9%) had TB of other organs and 67 had 9.4%) had pleural TB. Based on the patient histories and data 3216 relatives with contact were identified and scanned for TB. Pulmonary TB was found in 36 (1.1%), TB of other organs in 3 (0.09%) and miliary TB in 3 (0.09%) patients. The number of patients who are registered to Antalya Tuberculosis Dispensary and the degree of control of their contacts are below the desired level. Many problems are still being experienced for reporting tuberculosis cases. In order to achieve success in TB control studies the service should be integrated to primary health care and other health cares.

Keywords

• Tuberculosis
• Demographic factors
• Contact tracing