A Study on Delay in Giving the Early Morning Sample and Barriers in Accessing Sputum Smear Microscopy Services at Tertiary Care Hospital

Sputum examination is the most widely used test for diagnosis of TB. Under RNTCP two samples of sputum are required for examinations which are preferably 1st spot and early morning sample or two spot samples collected on the same day. Patients usually come from far off places at the tertiary care centre and frequent visits are usually not possible. Giving an early morning sample is usually defaulted by the patient due to various reasons. The present study was aimed at studying the delay in giving the early morning sample and barriers in accessing the sputum smear microscopy services at a tertiary care hospital. In this study 300 presumptive TB patients were studied. Patients were asked to give a 1st spot sample for sputum smear examination and asked to bring early morning sputum sample. Patients who refused to give early morning sample were asked to give 2nd spot sample and the reason for not coming early morning were noted. The patients who did not come despite agreeing to come were noted. If they came after a delay of few days, then also the reason of delay were noted. It was found that nearly one third (31%) of the patients agreed and came on the next day to give early morning sample. A large number of patients (16%) did not come at all to give the early morning sample.