RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Demographic, clinical, and radiographic assessment of symptomatic, smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in a public-private mixed DOTS setting in Iloilo City
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p2700
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Raymond Lee
A1 Malbar Ferrer
A1 Lorelei Sirilan
A1 Rodrose Guzman-Trivilegio
A1 Rosauro Cabana
A1 Amee Lourdes Ponje
A1 Ella Mae Divinagracia
A1 Elcie Solis
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2700.abstract
AB Background: Annually, numerous cases of pulmonary tuberculosis are being referred to Public-Private Mixed DOTS (PPMD), and in most instances, they are of sputum smear-negative type. Clinicians need to decide when to initiate empiric anti-Koch's treatment based only on symptoms and radiographic findings, as a delay in the commencement of treatment could cause further transmission of the disease. Thus, an advocacy, heralded by a TB diagnostic committee, of treating smear-negative patients suspected of having active TB disease was started.Study objective: To recognize the clinical, radiographic, and demographic profiles of all sputum smear-negative patients with symptomatic PTB enrolled in the Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course program of St. Paul Hospital-Iloilo (DOTS-SPH) from January 2008 to June 2009.Design: Retrospective descriptive studySetting: PPMD (DOTS-SPH) in Iloilo CityPatients: Total of 74, symptomatic, smear-negative TB patients enrolled in DOTS-SPH was included in the study.Results: About half (51.4%) of the patients included in the study were females, mostly young adults (31.1%) in their productive years, residing in the urban areas (73.0%). Patients presented with cough (85.1%), backpain (64.9%), weight loss of >10% (44.6%), easy fatigability (44.6%), and chest pain (43.2%). The most common radiographic finding is the presence of an apical/upper lobe infiltrates (79.7%).Conclusion: Most patients presented with at least 3 or more constitutional symptoms, cough being the most common. The initiation of anti-Koch's medications relies mostly on chest radiographic findings and symptomatology of patients.