| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3399857 | Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis | 2016 | 4 Pages |
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease however, poses serious challenge in the modern era in developing as well as developed countries. Every year millions of peoples are infected with TB and millions of peoples lose their lives. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis sputum smear positive (PTB-SS+ve) among the suspected TB patients at Tehsil Head Quarter (THQ) Hospital Dargai, District Malakand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A retrospective study was designed from January 2011 to December 2014. Out of 736 registered and suspected patients of TB, (40.08%) were PTB-SS+ve, (15.63%) were PTB-SS−ve whereas the remaining cases were diagnosed with extra-pulmonary TB, hence excluded from the study. The ratio of PTB-SS+ve cases was higher in females (57.63%) compared to males (42.37%). Furthermore, in the age group <20 years PTB-SS+ve cases were (34.92%), in 21–40 years it was (33.90%), and in 41–60 years it was (21.35%), and in >60 years age group PTB-SS+ve cases were (9.83%). No difference was found in the years 2013 and 2014 regarding PTB-SS+ve cases registration. PTB still presents a serious health issue in the region and rapid prophylactic measures are needed to eradicate the issue.
