Tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment practices of private physicians in Karachi, Pakistan

View/ Open
Abstract
In a densely populated urban area of Karachi, Pakistan, a questionnaire survey was made of the knowledge and practices of 120 private general practitioners about the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis [TB]. The majority knew that cough, fever and weight loss were the main symptoms of TB, but less than half knew that blood in sputum, poor appetite and chest pain were associated with the disease. Only 58.3% of physicians used sputum microscopy for diagnosing TB and 35.0% used it as a follow-up test. Only 41.7% treated TB patients themselves, the remaining referring their patients to specialists. Around 73.3% of the doctors were aware of the 4 first-line anti-TB drugs. Efforts to improve the knowledge of private practitioners, and strategies to enhance public-private collaboration for TB control in urban areas are urgently requiredCitation
Khan, J., Malik, A., Hussain, H., Ali, N.K., Akbani, F. et al. (2003). Tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment practices of private physicians in Karachi, Pakistan. http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/119330
Relation
EMHJ - Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 9 (4), 769-775, 2003
Description
769-775ISSN
1020-3397Other Identifiers
http://applications.emro.who.int/emhj/0904/9_4_2003_769_775.pdfCollections
Language
EnglishMetadata
Show full item recordRelated items
Showing items related by title and MeSH subject.
-
Using the Xpert MTB/RIF assay to detect pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults and children : expert group meeting report : 2013
World Health Organization (WHO/HTM/TB/2013.14, 2013) -
Global tuberculosis report 2014
World Health Organization (2014) -
Technique automatisée d’amplification de l’acide nucléique en temps réel pour la détection rapide et simultanée de la tuberculose et de la résistance à la rifampicine : système Xpert MTB/RIF : déclaration de principe
Organisation mondiale de la Santé (WHO/HTM/TB/2011.4, 2011)