Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To understand the healthcare-seeking behavior of patients with AIDS co-infected with tuberculosis and analyze the factors influencing delayed consultation and diagnosis, and to provide a theoretical basis for the implementation of interventional tuberculosis control measures.
METHODS Two hundred and two patients with AIDS complicated with tuberculosis who were first admitted to Yunnan Infectious Diseases Hospital from Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2023 were selected, and their clinical data were collected through the inpatient medical record system. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing delayed consultation and diagnosis.
RESULTS Time of admission, place of residence, presence of lung cavities, distribution of lung lesions, intermediate hospital visited, sputum culture results, etiological situation, CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio, and CD8+ cell counts were the factors influencing delayed consultation (P < 0.05). The initial diagnosis and Gene-Xpert results were the factors influencing delayed diagnosis (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that admission in 2021 (OR=3.842, 95%CI: 1.651-8.966), and presence of lung cavity (OR=8.007, 95%CI: 1.381-6.436), single lung lesion accumulation (OR=0.637, 95%CI: 0.049-8.267) were risk factors for delayed consultation. A 10% reduction in body mass (OR=2.070, 95%CI: 1.056-4.059) and negative Gene-Xpert results (OR=1.667, 95%CI: 0.688-4.038) were risk factors for delayed diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS The issues of delayed medical consultation and diagnosis in patients with AIDS complicated with tuberculosis remain severe, with different factors influencing the delay. Special attention should be paid to the screening for latent tuberculosis infection in people infected with HIV. When experiencing suspicious symptoms, patients should go be encouraged to take exams at designated tuberculosis hospitals, repeatedly collect sputum samples and monitor changes in body mass, all of which are positively significant in reducing delays.