Stručni rad
https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-63-2012-2129
Delays in Diagnosing and Treting Tuberculosis in Croatia
Anamarija Jurčev-Savičević
orcid.org/0000-0002-1430-7041
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split
Sanja Popović-Grle
; Klinika za plućne bolesti Jordanovac, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Rosanda Mulić
; Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Mladen Smoljanović
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split
Kornelija Miše
; Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Klinika za plućne bolesti Kliničkog bolničkog centra Split, Split, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The aim of this study was to determine factors causing delay in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Croatia. It included 240 adults with pulmonary tuberculosis, who were interviewed for demographics, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and personal health data. Total delay was defi ned as a number of days from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of therapy. The median and the 75th percentile of the total delay were 68 and 120 days, respectively: 16.7 % of the patients initiated treatment within the first month, 23.8 % within the second month, 23.3 % within the third month, 12.9 % within the fourth month, and 23.3 % more than four months after the symptoms appeared. Long delay (exceeding median delay) was strongly associated with drug abuse (p=0.021). Extreme delay (75th percentile of delay) was signifi cantly associated with the lowest level of education (p=0.021), below minimal income (p=0.039), minimal to average income (p=0.020), current smoking (p=0.050), and co-morbidity (p=0.048). In the multivariate model, long delay remained associated with drug abuse, while extreme delay was associated with the lowest level of education (p=0.033) and current (p=0.017) and ex-smoking (p=0.045). In a setting with decreasing TB incidence, the reported delay can be reduced by increasing health education, not only about tuberculosis per se, but about health in general and attitudes towards prevention and early care. It is also important to increase tuberculosis knowledge among healthcare workers as well as their diagnostic skills.
Ključne riječi
alcohol use; co-morbidity; drug abuse education; health care; prevention; smoking
Hrčak ID:
86904
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.9.2012.
Posjeta: 1.749 *