Patients with anaemia who have been diagnosed with tuberculosis take longer time, and require a more intensive treatment plan, to get better, noted a new study by the central government’s Safdarjung Hospital.
The study noted that three out of four newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients were anaemic at the time of diagnosis of tuberculosis.
“Delayed sputum conversion was found in 21.5% of the newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. Several factors such as history of tuberculosis infection in family members, shortness of breath, underweight at the start and at the end of intensive phase of anti-tuberculosis treatment etc., were found to be associated with delayed tuberculosis clearing up,” said Anita Khokhar, director professor and physician consultant at Safdarjung Hospital.
Diet counselling
Conducted at DOTS Centre, Najafgarh, from 2014 to 2016, tuberculosis patients with iron deficiency were counselled about their diet, started on iron therapy and those who required specialist care were referred to hospitals.
The study participants belonged to age group of 15 to 76 years. Nearly all of the study participants (98%) were Hindu by religion, 28.5% belonged to the State of Haryana, 31% were illiterate, 68% were unemployed, and 53% belonged to a nuclear family.
The study has recommended that the universal screening for anaemia at the time of diagnosis of tuberculosis should be done in order to improve the treatment outcome of the tuberculosis patients.
Immunity issue
“In our country both anaemia and TB are widely prevalent and it is vital that we manage anaemia well in a patient with TB, as presence of anaemia compromises the immunity of a person and hence delayed sputum conversion in case of TB,’’ noted the study
Also there is a need to manage underweight issues and provide counselling and health educational activities for tuberculosis patients, said the study.