Fatores associados à demora do doente de tuberculose pulmonar na procura por cuidados de saúde no município de Pelotas.

Abstract

Delays in the diagnosis of tuberculosis exacerbate the disease in affected individuals, increasing the risk of death and also the transmission in the community. In this sense, early diagnosis and timely treatment break the chain of transmission of the disease and also increase the chances of curing the individual. This article focuses on the delay by patient to seeking for health car e and the factors related to this, in the municipality of Pelotas / RS. It consists of a quantitative study of cross -sectional, it is linked to multicenter project entitled "Delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis: analysis of the causes in different region s of Brazil." The sample comprised 78 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis treated in the period from July to August 2009, at the Tuberculosis Control Program of Pelotas. In the evaluation of the variables studied, test of association chi-square and Fischer's test, with significance less than 0.05 were used. The patient's delay in seeking health care was observed in 44.9% and the cough was identified as the only factor associated with delay. In such case it is understood that this finding suggests further studies in order to foster closer the subject and thus promote agility in finding and obtaining health care from formal providers.