Patient Level Delay in Diagnosis of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis among Patients Attending Tertiary Care Hospital in Haryana

1 Senior Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak, Rohtak, Haryana, India. 2Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak, Rohtak, Haryana, India. 3,4,5,7Junior Resident, 6Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak, Rohtak, Haryana, India. 8Junior Resident, Department of Medicine, Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical Collage & Research Centre, Moradabad, U.P., India. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048.201918 Background: Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) besides increasing cost and duration of treatment also increases the mortality and morbidity. Less awareness in the community and diagnostic constraints for MDR-TB at patient level is a major cause of delay in diagnosis. Objective: To find out the delay in diagnosis of MDR-TB and factors affecting this delay among MDR-TB patients attending tertiary care hospital, PGIMS Rohtak, Haryana, India. Material and Methods: It is a hospital based cross-sectional study carried out in the department of Respiratory Medicine, PGIMS Rohtak, Haryana from March 2018 to February 2019 among 125 admitted patients of MDR-TB in tertiary care hospital, PGIMS Rohtak. A pre-designed, pretested, semi-structured interview schedule was used and data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0 and Chi square test was applied. Result: The mean and median patient delay was found to be 31.11 days and 21 days, respectively. Extent of patient delay was significantly associated with socio-demographic factors like age, sex, literacy status, occupation, addiction and past history of TB in patients. Conclusion: In this study, it was concluded that there was significant delay in the diagnosis as well as seeking treatment at patient level which was associated with socio-demographic factors. Thus, there is urgent need to boost up the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities to increase awareness among general public about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of MDR-TB.