Factors associated with delay in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Belém/PA

Introduction: Tuberculosis control tools are a challenge to primary health care, due to the delay of people from the appearance of the first symptoms to the search for the first health-care service, and health-care services leading to difficulties and delay in establishing the diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Objective: to analyze the factors associated with the time from the identification of symptoms to the beginning of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis and to measure the related time. Materials and Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional and analytical study, with 101 patients being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis, in five Basic Health Units. They were interviewed using an adapted and validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the G Test, in the BioEstat 5.3 Program. Results: 53.27% of patients were late to seek health-care services. The diagnosis was classified as “no delay” (50.5%). Male sex, complete high school education are factors related to delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, as well as the frequency of seeking health-care services for diagnosis showed statistical significance (p=0.0264). Discussion: Men are the most affected by the disease, due to risk factors. There is a need to invest in the training of teams to carry out early diagnosis and rapid suspicion of the disease. Conclusion: There are important actors in disease control: the health-care service and the patient. The delay is related to the tuberculosis patient, with the need to speed up the diagnosis of the disease, so that the patient does not have to return to the service several times.