Tuberculosis treatment outcomes and factors associated with tb regimen and health facilities in Srikakulam, northeast of Andhra Pradesh: A five-year retrospective study

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the primary cause of tuberculosis (TB), a communicable disease. Active TB Symptoms include fever, night sweats, haemoptysis (coughing up blood), weight loss, and a chronic cough. Diagnosis of TB includes chest x-ray, microscopy and Xpert MTB/RIF assays. The number of deaths has decreased over the years, which is a positive outcome. The regression analysis aimed to explore the relationship between the number of deaths and the number of cured TB cases. While the correlation coefficient (R) indicates a moderate to strong positive relationship, there is no statistical significance in the results. This implies that the number of TB cases that are cured may be significantly influenced by other factors that are not considered by this model. The p-values for both the constant and the number of deaths is above 0.05, suggesting that neither has a significant impact on the number of cured cases in this model. The variability in notifications, cure rates, and death rates over the years highlights ongoing challenges in TB control, including the impact of external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic. The significant decline in cure rates from 43% in 2018-2019 to 23% in 2022 is concerning and indicates a need for enhanced treatment strategies and patient support systems. The fluctuation in mortality rates suggests variability in TB case severity and healthcare quality. The reduction in mortality rates by 2022 is a positive sign, indicating possible improvements in TB care