title: Sputum Collection and Disposal Perceptions and Practices Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients from Northern India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even a single case of pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) can infect many others. Hence, to ensure better control of the disease, it is imperative that all patients dispose their sputum safely. Outcomes of this study would highlight the gaps need to be bridged in order to curtail transmission of TB.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse and ascertain perceptions about the disease and determine the sputum collection and disposal practices followed by sputum-positive TB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 422 sputum-positive TB patients aged more than 15 years registered in the Tuberculosis Unit Ambala city from January 2012 - September 2012 formed the study population. After enrolment, at the end of one month, they were assessed for sputum collection and disposal practices by a trained person at their place of residences. Questionnaire was framed to collect relevant data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Safe sputum disposal was practised by 46.4% of the study subjects. More females than males disposed of sputum safely (70.4% vs. 29.6%), as did more subjects of low than middle socio-economic status (74.1% vs. 25.9%). 70.9% (n=66) of the subjects with a family history of TB practiced safe sputum disposal methods as compared to 39.5% (n=130) subjects without a family history of TB practiced the same. Similarly more literate than illiterate subjects (n=150, 57.5% vs. n=46, 28.6%) practiced safe sputum disposal methods. (p< 0.001). Regarding knowledge of causation of TB only 63% of the study subjects were in the view that this disease is caused by germs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated that a large number of pulmonary TB patients practiced unsafe sputum disposal. Unsafe sputum disposal was higher among males, illiterate patients and those belonging to the lower socio-economic group. Therefore, it is need of the hour to launch Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities so as to improve the sputum disposal practices among tuberculosis patients.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SHKM Govt. Medical College , Mewat, Haryana, India .
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Chest and TB, SHKM Govt. Medical College , Mewat, Haryana, India .
authors.forename: Vipin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College and Research Centre , Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Shewtank
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goel
keywords: Bactericidal; Droplet nuclei; Mycobacterium tuberculosis