engleski

How much do general practicioners think about tuberculosis?

The aim of this study was to determine incidence of tuberculosis, as well as trends in outpatient sample numbers received in mycobacteriological laboratory during 8-year period, from 1995 to 2002. Study was performed in Split and Dalmatia County, part of South Croatia (estimated population of 460.000). Incidence of tuberculosis was decreasing, from 30, 03/100.000 in 1995 to 17, 25/100.000 in 2002, with incidence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis less than 10% of total incidence. At the same time, total amount of 25843 outpatient samples was sent by general practitioners to Mycobacteriological laboratory of Public Health Institute in order to perform isolation of M. tuberculosis. Trend of decreasing number of received samples was found. In 1995 it was 3912, and in 2002 it was 2150. Respiratory specimen numbers were not changing throughout whole period, with year's average of 1511 samples, but extrapulmonary samples showed large decrease - from 2538 samples in 1995 to 843 in 2002. General practitioners are doctors who have a first contact with patients, and their preliminary diagnosis of tuberculosis often is essential for early detection and treatment of these patients. This preliminary diagnosis must be confirmed in laboratory with isolation of M. tuberculosis. The number of respiratory specimens sent to laboratory was satisfactory and it was not changing throughout the observed years, but number of extrapulmonary specimens was decreasing. This is probably due to the fact that extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis infrequently occurs. Decreasing trend should be changed, and general practitioners should have to send more extrapulmonary specimens to mycobacteriological laboratory.

epidemiology ; tuberculosis

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