Mohammad Mehdi Nasehi , Mahmood Moosazadeh, Mohammad Reza Amiresmaeili, Mohammad Reza Parsaee, Asghar Nezammahalleh,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (3-2011)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Tuberculosis is an acute/chronic, infectious and necrotizing disease involving different organs of the body, particularly the lungs. Since controlling, screening, and treatment of people infected with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis has been highlighted in national and global objectives, this study aimed at conducting an epidemiological investigation of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and describing and analyzing the conditions to provide efficient suggestions to improve the status quo.
Materials and methods: The present study described and analyzed the existing data. A checklist consisting of variables such as age, gender, nationality, place of residence, results of mucus smears at the beginning, at the end of the second month and at the end of the treatment, was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate regression of the collected data were carried out using Excel and SPSS 16.
Results: The total number of identified tuberculosis cases during the study were 1296 among which 48.2 percent were smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis, 24.5 percent were smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis and 27.3 percent suffered from extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. The incidence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 4.3 in one hundred thousand people. It was shown that 57.5 percent of the identified smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was males, while 42.5 percent were females the mean age of the participants was 49.67 ± 21.60 years.
Conclusion: Epidemiological pattern observed in this study was consistent with other similar studies. In order to achieve the millennium development goal (50 percent decrease in tuberculosis prevalence and eliminating the disease up to the year 2050), and the national goals of tuberculosis controlling program, it is suggested that educating, screening and on time treatment of the smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients be considered at all levels of the health network as well as private sectors and physicians' offices.
Fatih Kermansaravi, Malihe Metanat,
Volume 22, Issue 87 (4-2012)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Several investigations recognized diabetes mellitus as one of the main risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed at determining the prevalence of smear-positive pulmonary TB in diabetic patients in Southwest of Iran.
Materials and methods: A census study was conducted from April 2010 to December 2011 in diabetic clinic in Zahedan. Standard chest radiography and sputum smear examination were performed on diabetics with tuberculosis symptoms. Cases of active TB were identified and referred to the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) centers. In addition, a purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test was done for all patients. Those with a positive PPD were referred to TB centers, based on their clinical signs and chest X-Ray results.
Results: Among 400 diabetics, 269 (67.25%) patients had up to 4 clinical signs of TB, and laboratory paraclinical examinations revealed 4 cases of smear-positive pulmonary TB. The results of PPD test was negative for 64.2% (<5mm) while it was borderline for 29.5% (5 to 9mm) and positive for 6.35% (10 to 14mm).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate high prevalence of smear-positive TB in diabetic patients compared with expected cases in the community and global population. Thus, TB screening in patients with diabetes is recommended in order to control and succed in treatment of the two diseases.
