Research Article

Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Cross-Sectional Study of Practices among Paediatricians in Private Sector, Mumbai

Table 6

Practices of paediatricians regarding nonresponse to anti-TB treatment and diagnosis of drug-resistance among children.

Practices regarding nonresponse to treatmentNumberPercent

Time of suspecting nonresponse to treatment ()
 Within three months of initiation of therapy4590.0
 After four or more months of therapy510.0

Action taken when nonresponse is suspected ()
 Advise sputum culture and drug sensitivity test3560.3
 Advise HIV test2644.8
 Prescribe another regimen 2339.7
 Refer the patient610.3
 Assess compliance and related reasons of nonresponse610.3
 Extension of intensive phase11.7

Time of requesting sputum culture and drug sensitivity for rifampicin in cases suspected for presence of drug-resistance ()
 After one month of treatment with first regimen (too early)36.0
 After two or three months of treatment with first regimen#2448.0
 After nonresponse to second regimen (too late)2346.0

Conditions when drug-resistance is suspected at beginning of treatment ()
 Contact with a case of drug-resistance TB#2167.7
 Coinfection with HIV1032.3
 History of previous treatment for TB#412.9

Basis of diagnosis of drug-resistant TB ()
 Including bacteriological test4894.1
  Bacteriological and clinical3058.8
  Bacteriological, clinical, and radiological1427.5
  Bacteriological alone35.9
  Bacteriological and radiological12.0
 Excluding bacteriological test35.9
  Clinical alone12.0
  Clinical and radiological23.9

Multiple responses; these 35 include 13 who also prescribe another regimen; #as per ISTC standard.