Is there delay in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in an intermediate-to-low TB incidence setting.

A cross-sectional study on pulmonary TB diagnosis delay in an intermediate TB incidence setting showed average patient's delay of 44 +/- 61.65 days and total delay of 103 +/- 148 days. Alcoholism, lack of TB cases in family, diabetes mellitus, relapse, cough or tachycardia (p< 0.01), absence of hemoptysis, dyspnea and anemia (p < 0.01), age > or = 40 (p < 0.05), negative auscultation and positive sputum smear findings (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with patient's delay > 30 days. Age < 40 years, negative auscultation and sputum smear findings (p < 0.01), female sex, city as residence (p < 0.05), absence of cough, sputum, weight loss, fever, excavation (p < 0.01), and night sweats (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with total delay > 103 days. Further population education and continual medical education are waranted.