Comparison of some characteristics of the tuberculosis patients of Sivas Tuberculosis Dispensary

Aim: Mass investigation for tuberculosis (TB) detection had been abandoned many years ago, however, contact tracing is still an important component of TB control. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of the parameters age, sex, bacteriological status, and outcomes between two diagnostic methods (contact tracing, n=305 and passive method, n=6799). Material and methods: Data source was Sivas Tuberculosis Dispensary register. Results: Mean age was 19.5 +/- 0.93 in the contact cases and 34.4 +/- 0.21 in the passive method group (p<0.0001). Female ratio in the contact cases was 43%, whereas it was 53% in the passive method cases (p<0.001). Pulmonary TB ratio in the contact cases group was significantly higher than in the passive method cases group (92.5% versus 83%; p<0.001). The ratio of smear (+) reporting in the passive method cases group was 12.05% and in the contact cases group it was 15.41% (p < 0.001). M. tuberculosis culture (+) reporting in the passive method cases group was 15% and in the contact cases group it was 18% (p<0.001). Abandonment, transferred, death and treatment completion had reported 44%, 1.3%, 2.95%, 49% in the contact cases group and, 37.6%, 4%, 5.7%, 50% in the passive method cases group, respectively (p<0.011). Mean age was lower and female ratio was higher in contact cases group. Conclusion: PTB reported in contact cases is more than extra pulmonary TB reporting. Clinic-radiological diagnosis was much more reported in patients found by passive method than in contact cases. Relatively few death rates in contact cases appeared to be associated with their mild clinical conditions.