FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DELAY IN TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT AT 10 TERTIARY LEVEL CARE HOSPITALS IN THAILAND

Tuberculosis (TB) is common in Thailand. Delay in initiating tuberculosis treatment is a major public health problem. Delay in treatment can result in more severe diseases, risk for death, and greater risk of tuberculosis transmission in the community. We attempted to determine the duration from onset of TB symptoms to the date of first consultation (patient delay) and the factors associated with that delay at 10 tertiary level care hospitals in Thailand. All participants aged 18 years who were willing to participate were included in the study, which was conducted from January to December 2012. A structured questionnaire and medical records were used to collect data. One hundred ninety-nine TB patients were included in the study. The mean age of subjects was 48 years (SD = 15.9); 69.8% were male. The median duration from onset of symptoms to first medical consultation was 30 days. On multivariate analysis, living in an urban area (adjusted odds ratio = 2.81; 95% CI: 1.29-6.14) was an independent risk factor for the delay. Delay in seeking help is a common problem among TB patients in Thailand. At risk populations need to be educated on the importance of presenting for early medical consultation if they have symptoms of TB.