Factors Associated with Delays of Treatment among New Smear Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Vientiane Capital Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to investigate the risk factors
associated with patient delay of treatment among new smear-positive pulmonary
tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Vientiane capital. Data of PTB patients, who registered at
tuberculosis in 3 government hospitals. Over the period January 1, 2556 - December 31,
2557 by questionnaires and from medical records. The criteria’s of patient delay of
treatment were more than 30 days, elapsed between the onset of symptom(s) and first
contact with a government health care unit or hospital. The data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics (percentages, mean, and standard deviations) and multiple logistic
regression, in calculating the odds ratio (OR) and (ORadj) with 95% confidence intervals had
been applied.
The results of the study show that 63.6% of the sample were women, the
median age of the sample was 43 years, in a total 284 new mean of age smear-positive
pulmonary tuberculosis patients, experienced patient delays longer than 30, 45 and 60
days, 61.6% (95% CI=55.9-43.7), 38.0% (95% CI=32.3-43.7), 20.8 (95% CI=16.0-25.5). In
multivariate by control confounder analysis, sex, male (ORadj=1.56; 95% CI=0.82-2.98), aged
group ≤50 years (ORadj=1.09; 95% CI=0.57-2.08), patient income per monthly ≤1200000 kip
(ORadj=2.21; 95% CI=1.25-3.91) seeking healthcare at a pharmacy (ORadj=2.33; 95% CI=1.41-
3.84).
In conclusion, this study showed that patient’s delay of treatment were high in
patients who seek treatment outside the government health service system and stay far
away. It is necessary to increase community awareness about TB patient should be educated to
seek health care more quickly. Improving health care services for patients with tuberculosis
is needed as well as supporting active case finding and screening of TB patients in the
community. These measure will reduce death rate and the spread of TB in the community.