Evaluation of Tuberculosis Drug Resistant Testing Coverage in the Lower Part of Southern Thailand

Abstract

          The objective of this descriptive research study is to evaluate the coverage of tuberculosis drug-
resistant tests in patients who received TB treatment during the fiscal years 2014 to 2019. The researcher collected tuberculosis drug resistance data from the national TB database relating to 78 public hospitals in seven southern provinces under the Ministry of Public Health. The researcher then compared the 2019 data with reviewed data during the supervision period.

          Comparing data from the seven provinces; Songkhla, Satun, Trang, Phatthalung, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, the researcher found the request per cent of drug susceptibility test (DST) compared to the number of registered patients in fiscal year 2014 was 5.5, 5.3, 2.8, 0, 20.9, 9.1 respectively. The per cent numbers of results from DST compared to the number of registered patients was 5.5, 5.3, 0, 0, 14.0, 9.1 and 0 respectively. The request per cent of DST compared with the number of patients registered in the fiscal year 2019 was 66.7, 81.8, 87.5, 76.9, 96.8, 41.7 and 95.8 respectively. The per cent numbers of results from DST compared to the number of registered patients was 57.5, 63.6, 87.5, 69.2, 80.6, 33.3 and 83.3 respectively. The most common cause of not requesting the drug susceptibility test is no DST screening criteria available for the physician to decide. Moreover, there are no DST results due to sputum management problem and poor communication among the TB clinic and lab personnel. There are also problems recording data on the national TB program. The researcher supports public and private hospitals in recording TB data through the national TB program and reporting the results from laboratories concurrently.