Resurgence of extra pulmonary tuberculosis in general surgical ward, a five years incidence study

ABSTRACT

A five years retrospective study from July 1991 to July 1996 was undertaken to study the incidence of non-pulmonary tuberculosis in a teaching unit. The incidence of the patients admitted with non-pulmonary tuberculosis from 1991 to 1996 has increased three times in last 5 years [2.7% in 1991 and 7.3% in 1996 of overall admissions]. The predisposing factors considered to be the decreasing living standards, increasing incidence of drug abuse and HIV infection, emergence of multidrug resistance due to bad prescription practices and poor compliance. This may be due to illiteracy and lack of awareness on the part of family physicians