TB case management by doctors in district Rajanpur

ABSTRACT

Multi drug resistant tuberculosis [MDR-TB] is the alarming threat of the day. Main causes of this era are the sub optimal, incomplete and inadequate therapy. Poor criteria of diagnosis are also the causative towards MDR-TB. National TB programs [NTP], short course chemotherapy [SSC], directly observed treatment short course [DOTS] programs are arranged to overcome these things. But in poor areas, the poor living and nutritional conditions, restless hardworking, incomplete therapy due to poverty, poor diagnostic criteria and poor prescriptions due to lack of knowledge of SSC, DOTS and NTP programs are the burning candle on the way of MDR-TB. To verify these parameters a survey of the Private Medical Practitioners [PMPs] having qualification at least M.B.B.S in the poor and backward area of Pakistan [District Rajan Pur] was done with a data sheet containing 20 different questions related to TB case management. Only 3.84 percent practitioners were familiar with culturing, 85.72 practitioners termed cough as a major symptom of TB, 28.57 percent practitioners had weight machine for children out of which 7.14 percent were in working condition and there was no weight machine for adults, more than 46 percent practitioners claimed to familiar with NTP guidelines of treatment but no one was following the standar NTP guidelines of treatment. Duration of initial intensive phase and continuation phase therapy varied from 2 to 6 months and 1 to 10 months respectively. No doctor had any record of TB patients