Evaluation of the Last 15 Years of a Tuberculosis Dispensary

Abstract

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease worldwide, inflicting illness to 10 million people and killing 1.5 million in 2018. This study aimed to contribute to the planning of future services and create a scientific resource for studies focusing on eliminating TB through precautions by examining the characteristics of patients receiving services from TB dispensaries. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed between April 2020 and May 2020. All patients who started treatment in the dispensary between 2005 and 2019 were enrolled. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for data analysis. P <= 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The data of 765 patients were included in the study. During the 15-year period that the study investigated, the number of patients receiving services from TB dispensaries decreased, and the average age increased. The overall treatment success was 90.6%. Regarding treatment success, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups according to gender, marital status, working status, and qualification of residence area. Conclusion: In our study, the fact that there is no difference in treatment success between individuals with different socioeconomic and cultural characteristics has been identified as an indicator of easier access to healthcare services. It has been concluded that the activities for TB control should be developed by considering local epidemiological features and that financing of all treatment costs of TB patients by public resources should be practiced worldwide.