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Sophia Vijay, Krishna Murthy MS & Srikantaramu
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Fate of pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed in
a prevalence survey A socio- epidemiological follow up after
five years |
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INDIAN J TB 1998, 45, 199-205. |
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Per |
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The study group constitutes 86 cases
and 341 suspects diagnosed in a TB prevalence survey.
The area of the survey was under cover of the NTP for more than
20 years. The observed fate of these cases after five year was:
dead 58.3%, culture negative 30% and culture positive 11.7%. Comparison
of these rates with age standardised rates of cases
followed up after 5 years in an adjacent area, where control measures
were not undertaken revealed that both these rates were not statistically
different. The findings suggest that the same natural dynamics of
TB as observed under the non-intervention situation, obtained in
the study area as well, despite the latter being under the cover
of NTP for so long.
Suspects, epidemiologically, proved to be a low
priority group as the breakdown rate observed among them over five
years was as low as 3.3%, again similar to the findings in the non-intervention
area of a longitudinal survey.
A sociological enquiry revealed that cardinal symptoms
of TB persisted even after five years in 65% of cases and 55% of
suspects. Action taking behaviour indicated that more than half
the patients, reported to GHS for remedial measures, while none
of the asymptomatics approached any health centre. These
findings suggest that symptoms are the driving force
for patients to seek medical advice and the NTP still has the potential
to bring these self-reporting cases within its network.
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KEY WORDS: SOCIAL ACTION; SOCIO-EPIDEMIOLOGY; SOCIAL
INQUIRY; INDIA |