The time delay of patients presenting with symptoms of TB at TC Newman Hospital, Paarl and the start of their treatment

Chantal Fourie, Carli Hennig, Adre Lourens, Esther Basson, Andre Klop

Abstract


Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem in South Africa. The early detection and treatment of TB cases are essential. The impression of senior staff working at the TC Newman Community Health Centre (TCN), Paarl was that there often is an unnecessary time delay between the presentation of TB symptoms and the diagnosis. A study conducted in The Gambia found that the median time delay was 8.6 weeks (range 5–17).1 The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a time delay between when patients present with symptoms of TB and the start of their treatment at TCN.

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SA Fam Pract | ISSN: 1726-426X

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