Factors Associated with Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of factors leading to poor treatment outcome in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Study Design: The study design was cross sectional.

Place and Duration of the study: This study was conducted over a period of 1 year at the department of General Medicine, PAF Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan from 1st September 2021 to 31 August 2022.

Patients and Methods:  A total of 100 patients with poor treatment outcome of pulmonary TB treatment registered at department for the above mentioned period were included through consecutive sampling. Record was extracted from TB treatment card and medical record registers. Patient’s socio demographic, clinical investigation and treatment data were taken. Major factors associated with pulmonary TB treatment outcomes were found by applying frequency and percentage.

Results: The mean age of patients in this study was 31.98±9.55 years. Most of the patients belonged to younger age groups between 18-37 years (73%). Male gender was dominant with 63% of total population.  Dominant factors in these patients with poor treatment outcome with statistical significance were poor educational status (84%), low economic status (72%), low knowledge of TB (64%), difficult accessibility to hospital (65%), being single (61%) smoking (61%) and no adherence to treatment (52%).

Conclusion: In conclusion, keeping in mind the fact that success rate of pulmonary TB in Pakistan is still lower than the target of 85%, factors that contributes most to the poor treatment outcome and are addressable by the medical community must be kept under keen focus to improve the treatment out comes