title: Sputum collection and disposal among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in coastal South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Safe sputum disposal practices minimise the spread of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the perceptions and practices of sputum disposal among PTB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted among 206 diagnosed sputum-positive TB patients registered in selected DOTS centres in Mangalore.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Safe sputum disposal practice was followed by 50% of the subjects: it was higher among females (62%), patients of middle socio-economic status (75.5%) and those with a family history of TB (70%). Furthermore, 75% patients believed that TB was caused by several factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High proportions of subjects were unaware about the causes of TB and did not practise safe disposal of sputum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, India. rekha.thapar@manipal.edu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rekha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Unnikrishnan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prasanna Mithra
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: K D V
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar Papanna
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001364:Awareness; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010465:Perception; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal