title: Is there delay in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in an intermediate-to-low TB incidence setting.
abstract: A cross-sectional study on pulmonary TB diagnosis delay in an intermediate TB incidence setting showed average patient's delay of 44 +/- 61.65 days and total delay of 103 +/- 148 days. Alcoholism, lack of TB cases in family, diabetes mellitus, relapse, cough or tachycardia (p< 0.01), absence of hemoptysis, dyspnea and anemia (p < 0.01), age > or = 40 (p < 0.05), negative auscultation and positive sputum smear findings (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with patient's delay > 30 days. Age < 40 years, negative auscultation and sputum smear findings (p < 0.01), female sex, city as residence (p < 0.05), absence of cough, sputum, weight loss, fever, excavation (p < 0.01), and night sweats (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with total delay > 103 days. Further population education and continual medical education are waranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine University of Belgrade, Students' of Medicine Research Centre, Belgrade.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malbasa
authors.forename: Dragica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pesut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000382:microbiology; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003371:Cough / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents