KARACHI, April 20: To mark the World Tuberculosis Day, the Kulsoombai Valika Social Security Hospital, Site, held a seminar on tuberculosis on Tuesday. Dr Zafaryab Hussain, head of chest medicine department of KVSS Hospital, speaking on "Management of Pulmonary TB" said that the DOTS was must to control tuberculosis. He stressed on inter- sectoral collaboration to get better results in this regard.

Giving details of patients treated at the Chest OPD of KVSS hospital, he said that five per cent of the patients treated last year at the hospital were female. He said that 85 per cent patients were between 15 and 45 years.

He said that 78 per cent had pulmonary tuberculosis and 22 per cent had extra pulmonary tuberculosis. "As we are following NTP guidelines, our cure is 85 per cent, failure rate is seven per cent and default is only 10 per cent," he said.

Dr Najam Qureshi, Orthopaedic Surgeon at KVSS Hospital, talked about TB bone and joints. He stressed on early diagnosis for the better treatment, as complications resulted in deformities and neurological complications like Paraplegia, incontinence of urine and stool.

In his presentation on "Tuberculosis lymphnode", KVSS medical superintendent Dr Qazi Jalauddin Ahmed said that the TB lymphnode could result in swelling and disfigurement of neck. He said that early diagnosis by the FNAC or biopsy of suspected lymphnode was must for the treatment as guided in the National TB Control Programme.

Assistant Professor (Dr) Riffat Jalil from Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry presented her views on TB of female reproductive system. She said 50 per cent of patients having primary infertility were usually suffered from tuberculosis. "This may results in menstrual irregularities, lower abdominal pain and secondary infertility in some cases," she added.

She stressed on regular drug intake even in early pregnancy as all anti-tuberculosis drugs were safe except Streptomycin. She also emphasized on breast feeding to babies of TB patients as it could help in protecting the baby.

Dr Amanullah Ansari of the World Health Organization spoke about TB situation in Sindh. He gave details of the DOTS implementation and results of DOTS programme in various districts of Sindh. Out of 20,000 new cases of TB registered in the country, he said that 7,889 were registered in Sindh.

In this regard, he added, more than 200 diagnostic centres and 1,067 treatment centres had been established. "The target is to achieve 70 per cent case detection rate and 85 per cent cure rate by the year 2005," he said.

Dr Naeem Iqbal talked about Skin TB that was a rare form of tuberculosis. He said that its diagnosis was possible by suspicion and biopsy. Hamdard College Medicine and Dentistry principal Prof Aley Hasan Zaidi, who was guest of honour at the seminar, said that the best treatment method was DOTS, which was internationally recommended and proven standardized.

He stressed on need for educating people about TB and for increasing the case detection rate. Sessi Medical Adviser Dr Haseeb Qureshi, who was the chief guest, said that tuberculosis was affecting not only the poor community, but, it had also been found among affluent people.

Students and doctors from Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, doctors of Sessi hospitals and general-practitioners of nearby area attended the seminar. -PPI