Uzma Siddiqui

Back to MSc Alumni

Country: Pakistan
Background: Medicine
Research Project: A link between smoking and tuberculosis to study the smoking habits of patients attending a TB clinic

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to address the following hypothesis;
“Are smokers more likely to be infectious for longer after the commencement of anti-TB treatment compared to non-smokers?” In other words, this will help address the issue of cigarette smoking on pulmonary TB patients’ response to anti-tubercular treatment in relation to infectivity status.

METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional retrospective record-based hospital analysis was done. The charts of 53 confirmed cases of pulmonary TB on (ATT)* from April’07 to April’08 were reviewed; data was collected for their socio-demographic and clinical correlates, smoking and TB history. A proforma was set up for inputting the required information. Data was then tabulated and analyzed using the SPSS, Version 14.0.

RESULTS: According to the Multivariate analysis, ever smokers pulmonary TB patients on (ATT)* were 4 times more likely (OR: 4.42) to turn sputum negative after 6-8 weeks [delayed] compared to never-smokers after adjusting for age and sex. This shows a statistically significant difference between ever and never smokers (CI 95%; 1.23; 15.9).

CONCLUSION: Smoking caused delayed sputum smear conversion beyond 6-8 weeks in Pulmonary TB patients on (ATT)*, thereby increasing or prolonging their infectivity status.

KEY WORDS: Tobacco, Smoking, Tuberculosis, Sputum Smear, Culture, Conversion.