Background/aim: This study aimed to analyze delays in diagnosis and treatment by defining the related demographic and clinical factors, to reveal obstacles, and to develop essential attempts to help reduce treatment delays. Materials and methods: We created a questionnaire on the subject of delays in diagnosis and treatment in tuberculosis (TB) control to be administered to the patients. The forms were distributed to dispensaries across the country by the General Directorate of Public Health via an official letter. Results: The study included 853 new patients with smear-positive pulmonary TB. The mean patient delay was 18.06 +/- 22.27 days, the mean diagnosis delay was 35.63 +/- 34.86 days, and the mean treatment delay was 0.90 +/- 2.39 days. We found no association between sex, age, literacy, residential location, the presence of chronic respiratory diseases, and patient delay. It was determined that patient delay was shorter for patients with hemoptysis, fever, dyspnoea, and chest pain. In women, the diagnosis delay was longer than in men. Conclusion: In the diagnosis process of patients with tuberculosis, it was determined that there was an improvement in the patient delay; however, the improvement in the diagnosis delay was still not acceptable as an ideal duration.

Control,dispensary,tuberculosis

Background and Objectives: To contribute to clinical practice by identifying gender-based differences in patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are monitored in the intensive care unit due to type 2 respiratory failure. Materials and Methods: The study was planned as a prospective, observational, and cross-sectional investigation. A total of 258 patients, 91 females and 167 males, were included in the study between 2023 and 2024. Demographic data and clinical parameters of COPD patients admitted to intensive care due to hypercapnic respiratory failure and treated with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) were compared between genders. Results: The number of male patients was higher than female patients, while the mean age of female patients was higher than that of males. The body mass index (BMI), morbid obesity, atrial fibrillation, renal disease, heart failure, hypertension, hypothyroidism, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the cardiothoracic ratio were found to be significantly higher in female patients. Emphysema and steroid use in treatment were more common in male patients. In laboratory analyses conducted at the time of admission, the average D-dimer and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were higher in female patients. The mean arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO₂) level assessed prior to discharge was also higher in female patients. Conclusions: Heart failure and risk factors that may lead to heart failure are more prominent in female COPD patients with type 2 respiratory failure. Despite the lower number of female patients compared to males, the significantly higher comorbidity burden in females, as per CCI scores, suggests that medical processes may be more challenging to manage in females. We believe that these findings will contribute to clinical practice and provide clinicians with insights for patient management.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the general demographic characteristics of smokers and to define the association of smoking with respiratory symptoms, level of education and income.Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 1019 people aged 40 and over. A questionnaire containing questions about respiratory symptoms, tobacco use and risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases was applied to all the participants. The study participants were grouped regarding their smoking status as current smokers, never smokers and former smokers. Age, gender, marital status, education level, monthly income per house person were recorded for all participants.Results: 1019 people with a mean age of 53.20 ±9.06 years (range: 40-90 years) were included in the study. Among females, 72/486 were active smoker; while in males 226/533 were active smoker (p:0.001). Mid- high school and university graduates were more commonly smoker or former-smoker. Participants with higher monthly income per house person (> 1000 TRY) were significantly more commonly active-smoker. Cough and sputum for longer than 3 months was determined in 66 (6.5%) people while the triad of cough and sputum for longer than 3 months and dyspnea was determined in 36 (3.5%) people. Among those participants the ratio of smokers was significantly higher. A significant proportion of participants (63.8%) with the symptoms predicting chronic pulmonary diseases, were not having diagnosis of any chronic respiratory disease before.Conclusion: We determined that; unlike the previous reports educated and higher monthly income people were more commonly smoker. We also found that chronic respiratory diseases is not sufficiently diagnosed. In screening for early diagnosis of chronic pulmonary diseases, we think that symptomatic interrogation is still important for selection of target population.