Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Risk Factors of Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) among Mdr-tb Patients Registered at Lumbini Zonal Hospital

Abstract

Tuberculosis is still a major public health problem in developing countries like Nepal which has turned to a deadly form multidrug-resistant. A case-control study with 50 MDR-PTB patients as cases and 63 drug susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis patient as control was carried out to identify risk factors associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) at Lumbini Zonal Hospital. Irregularity in taking medicine (OR = 2.36), large family size (OR = 2.40), farming as occupation (OR = 2.83), past history of TB and bovine at home (OR = 6.5) were identified as risk factors. By screening 400 sputum samples from 200 TB suspected patients using Z-N staining method, 24 (12%) cases were found to be AFB positive. Prevalence of PTB in male and female was 14.50% and 7.25% respectively. Similarly, higher infection was found among the people of age group 41-50 years (16%). Most of the PTB patients had lower secondary level educational attainment (19.05%) and had involved in service (18.37%). In a questionnaire survey of same 200 TB suspected patients done to assess their knowledge, attitude and preventive practices for TB, knowledge regarding nature of disease, symptoms, route of transmission and prevention of TB was not adequate.