Contact screening and chemoprophylaxis in India’s Revised Tuberculosis Control Programme: a situational analysis

Banu Rekha, V V and Jagarajamma, K and Wares, F and Chandrasekaran, V and Swaminathan, S (2009) Contact screening and chemoprophylaxis in India’s Revised Tuberculosis Control Programme: a situational analysis. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 13 (12). pp. 1507-1512. ISSN Print: 1027-3719; Online: 1815-7920

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: India’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) recommends screening of all household contacts of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases for tuberculosis (TB) disease, and 6-month isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for a symptomatic children aged <6 years. OBJECTIVE: To assess the implementation of child contact screening and IPT administration under the RNTCP. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted in four randomly selected TB units (TUs), two in an urban (Chennai City) and two in a rural (Vellore District) area of Tamil Nadu, South India, from July to September 2008. The study involved the perusal of TB treatment cards of source cases (new or retreatment smear-positive PTB patients started on treatment), interview of source cases and focus group discussions (FGDs) among health care workers. RESULTS: Interviews of 253 PTB patients revealed that of 220 contacts aged <14 years, only 31 (14%) had been screened for TB, and that of 84 household children aged <6 years, only 16 (19%) had been initiated on IPT. The treatment cards of source cases lacked documentation of contact details. FGDs revealed greater TB awareness among urban health care workers, but a lack of detailed knowledge about procedures. CONCLUSION: Provision for documentation using a separate IPT card and focused training may help improve the implementation of contact screening and IPT. KEY WORDS: contact screening; IPT; RNTCP; chemoprophylaxis

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: contact screening; IPT; RNTCP; chemoprophylaxis; children
Subjects: Tuberculosis > Clinical Research
Tuberculosis
Divisions: Clinical Research
Depositing User: Dr. Rathinasabapati R
Date Deposited: 23 Nov 2017 07:00
Last Modified: 02 Mar 2021 05:27
URI: http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/984

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