Epidemiology and treatment of patients with tuberculosis in Mannar District

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of patients with tuberculosis in the Mannar district. Method: This was a cross sectional study. We visited almost all the houses of patients (143 out of 145) who were registered during January 2005 to December 2008 HI the District tuberculosis register maintained at the District chest clinic, Mannar. Data were collected using a pre-designed interviewer administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The yearly registrations of patients with tuberculosis (TB) from 2005 to 2008 were 52, 27, 42 and 24 respectively. These 145 cases included 113 middle aged (77.9 %), 23 elders (15.9%), seven adolescents and two children. Majority of cases were men (n= 90, 62.1 %) and married (n= 116, 80%). Treatment type included 137 new cases, six relapses and two defaulters. Cure rate was 91.5%. Treatment completed constituted 31.7% of cases (n=46) while five were dead and one defaulted treatment. Fifty five cases (37.9%) were living in welfare facilities for displaced (WFD). 93.1 % of cases (n=135) had ever been to India as a refugee. Cases in WFD had a higher risk of having undiagnosed death of a family member (OR = 6.4, 95% CI, 1.3 - 32.1), under-ventilated houses (OR -20, 95% CI, 8.4 - 47.4), and overcrowding of the living place (OR = 5.6, 95% CI, 2.7 - 11.4). CONCLUSION: Treatment outcome of TB cases was satisfactory in Mannar District. The TB cases living in WFD had increased risk factors for TB.