Abstract:

Objective To assess the effect of the patients care on the level of sputum specimens submitted for examination among the outpatient follow-up of rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (RR-PTB) patients. Methods The RR-PTB outpatients followed-up in Drug-Resistant TB Department of Xi’an Chest Hospital were taken as objects. The RR-PTB outpatients followed-up from July to September 2019 were taken as the intervention group 1 (249 cases) who received 3 care services in the first phase. The intervention group 2 (239 cases) were the RR-PTB outpatient followed-up from July to September 2020 who received 6 care services in the second-phase. Meanwhile, RR-PTB outpatients who followed-up from July to September 2018 received routine outpatient expectoration guidance were retrospectively analyzed as the control group (127 cases). The changes of the rate of sputum specimens submitted for examination of the 3 groups were compared. Results The overall rate of sputum specimens submitted for examination in the control group, intervention group 1 and intervention group 2 were 35.8% (77/215), 51.7% (209/404) and 78.6% (276/351) separately, the difference was statistically significant (χ²=111.249, P<0.001). The rate in the intervention group 1 received the first intervention (47.0%, 117/249) and the group 2 received the first intervention (73.6%,176/239) were significantly higher than that of control group (29.9%, 38/127), the difference was statistically significant (χ²=10.110, 65.278;P<0.017). The rate of the intervention group 2 was significantly higher than the group 1 (χ²=36.106, P<0.001). The rates of intervention group 1 after receiving the first intervention, the second intervention and third intervention were 47.0% (117/249), 57.4% (78/136) and 73.7% (14/19), respectively, and the differences were significant (χ_trends²=7.448, P=0.006). The rates of the intervention group 2 received first intervention and the second intervention were 73.6% (176/239) and 89.3% (100/112) respectively, and the difference was significant (χ²=11.111, P=0.001). Conclusion Patient care services can increase the rate of sputum specimens submitted for examination among the followed-up RR-PTB outpatients, and the effects of 6 care services were better than that of 3 care services.

Key words: Tuberculosis, multidrug resistance, Rifampicin, Patient care management, Sputum, Patient care, Comparative study