LTBI Prevalence and Risk Factors in Field Practice Areas of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

BACKGROUND

Latent tuberculosis (LTBI) affects 33% globally, with 5-10% progressing to active TB within five years. Diabetes triples the risk, driving high TB rates in countries like India. This study aims to determine prevalence of LTBI among patients visiting outpatient department in the field practice areas of Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine at AIIMS Jodhpur and to assess the relationship between LTBI and diabetes mellitus.

METHODOLOGY: This analytical cross-sectional study involved 384 participants aged ≥30 years attending AIIMS Jodhpur's health training centers from October 2021 to March 2023. Tuberculin skin test (TST) was used to diagnose LTBI. Positive thresholds: >5 mm for recent tuberculosis contact, >10 mm for diabetes, >15 mm in participants without risk factors.

RESULTS

Among 384 TST participants, 346 (90.1%) were evaluated. LTBI prevalence was 20.5% with 95% CI: 16.3%-24.8%, (71 participants). Of 118 diabetes cases, 113 were evaluated, with 27.4% having LTBI. Multivariate analysis identified significant LTBI predictors such as type 2 diabetes (OR: 3.47, 95% CI 1.61-7.46), tuberculosis contact (OR: 18.13, 95% CI 8.08-40.64), and obesity (OR: 2.26, 95% CI 1.04-4.91).

CONCLUSION

Type 2 diabetes significantly associated with LTBI, making systematic testing and treatment crucial to prevent complications. Diagnosing LTBI in diabetes patients is key to addressing these linked health issues.