Sputum collection and disposal among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in coastal South India [Short communication]
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Nithin Kumar; M. Kumar Papanna; V. Raina; Rekha T; Bhaskaran Unnikrishnan; K. D.V. Prasad; Vaman Kulkarni; Prasanna Mithra; P. Singh
- Source
- The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 17:621-623
- Subject
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
medicine.medical_specialty
Tuberculosis
biology
Cross-sectional study
business.industry
biology.organism_classification
medicine.disease
Surgery
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Infectious Diseases
Sex factors
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Sputum collection
Internal medicine
medicine
Sputum
Family history
medicine.symptom
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 1815-7920
1027-3719
BACKGROUND: Safe sputum disposal practices minimise the spread of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). OBJECTIVES: To study the perceptions and practices of sputum disposal among PTB patients. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted among 206 diagnosed sputum-positive TB patients registered in selected DOTS centres in Mangalore. RESULTS: Safe sputum disposal practice was followed by 50% of the subjects: it was higher among females (62%), patients of middle socio-economic status (75.5%) and those with a family history of TB (70%). Furthermore, 75% patients believed that TB was caused by several factors. CONCLUSIONS: High proportions of subjects were unaware about the causes of TB and did not practise safe disposal of sputum.