TUBERCULOSIS

DETERMINANTS OF TREATMENT NON-COMPLIANCE AMONG T.B. PATIENTS.

Abstract

Objective: To identify the factors responsible for noncompliance of Anti Tuberculous Treatment in TB patients. Study
Design: Cross Sectional Descriptive Study. Place & Duration: The study was Carried out at Chest diseases and Tuberculosis unit Bahawal
Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur from 15th May 2007 to 15th August 2007. Subject & Method: The tuberculous patients who abandoned antituberculous
treatment repeatedly were interviewed for determination of their reasons to be defaulter before completing therapy by
questionnaire method. The patients were AFB positive on every non-compliance episodes. Results: The total number of 100 noncompliant
patients were interviewed. It was noted that 63% were males and 37% were females among them. There were 72% married and 28%
unmarried from total patients. The treatment source was asked and found that 92% used government health out let only and 8% used private
services also from them. Conclusion: TB is curable disease so health education should be imparted through electronic media and
committed field teams stressing to take regular and complete ATT according to the physician advice removing the social belief against TB
drugs. Decentralized government and private sector coordination is essential to give treatment at doorstep to reduce dropout and defaulter
tendency. Stigma of TB as a disease of the illiterate & poor still persists.