title: Role of risk factors and socio-economic status in pulmonary tuberculosis: a search for the root cause in patients in a tertiary care hospital, South India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of underlying risk factors and the socio-economic impact based on occupation in the development of tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 207 clinically and microbiologically diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) admitted to Kasturba Hospital in 2005 and 2006. Demographic details and underlying risk factors were statistically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) (30.9%) was the most prevalent condition and significantly more common than other risk factors like smoking (16.9%), alcoholism (12.6%), HIV (10.6%), malignancy (5.8%), chronic liver diseases (3.9%), history of contact with TB (3.4%), chronic corticosteroid therapy (2.9%), chronic kidney diseases and malnourishment (1.5%). There were 82 patients (39.6%) with no underlying risk factor. Men (M:F = 3.7:1) and patients older than 40 years had a higher incidence of co-existing conditions. PTB was significantly more common in blue-collar (44%) and white-collar (27.1%) workers than household workers (12.1%), students (10.6%) and retired/unemployed people (6.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulmonary tuberculosis had a significant impact and predominated in male patients co-existing with DM. Patients with DM and suggestive pulmonary symptoms should be screened for tuberculosis. More stringent health education and awareness programme should be implemented at the grass root level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India.
authors.forename: Soham
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Vishnu Prasad
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.forename: Chiranjay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Indira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bairy
authors.forename: Sethumadhavan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muralidharan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012923:Social Class; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult