Awareness about Tuberculosis among Adult Patients Attending OPD of a Tertiary Health Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

2025-04-07T11:08:30+00:00

Background: Tuberculosis disease is a major threat to the society.
Awareness about tuberculosis is insufficient in the community which
contributes to its spread. This study was conducted to assess awareness
about tuberculosis among adult patients attending the Outpatient
Department (OPD) of a tertiary healthcare hospital.
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted
using purposive sampling method among adult patients attending OPD
of a tertiary health care hospital in Thane in the month of June 2024.
Necessary permissions and approvals were obtained. Inclusion and
exclusion criteria were defined. 422 patients were interviewed to
assess their awareness about tuberculosis and the data was recorded
in the proforma. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed.
Chi-square test was applied. The statistical level of significance was
fixed at p < 0.05.
Results: 422 patients were included in the study, of which 197 (46.68%)
were male and 225 (53.32%) were female. 55 (13.03%) subjects were
illiterate and 367 (86.97%) were literate. 349 (82.70%) patients were
from urban and 73 (17.30%) were from rural areas. 223 (52.84%)
were aware of tuberculosis of which 119 (53.36%) were male and
104 (46.64%) were female (p < 0.05), 202 (90.58%) were literate and
21 (09.42%) were illiterate (p < 0.05), 119 (53.36%) were employed/
self-employed and 104 (46.64%) were retired/ homemakers (p < 0.05).
The gender-wise distribution of awareness about tuberculosis among
subjects more than 60 years of age was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Only 52.84% of adult patients were aware of tuberculosis.
Efforts should be made to enlighten the community about tuberculosis
and its consequences. Awareness in society will help to break the chain
of transmission of tuberculosis infection crucial for its elimination.

How to cite this article:
Gurav R B, Nair A S, Geevarghese P S. Awareness
about Tuberculosis among Adult Patients
Attending OPD of a Tertiary Health Care Hospital:
A Cross-Sectional Study. J Adv Res Med 2024;
11(4): 1-6.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2349.7181.202409

Evaluating Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictive Biomarker of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B

2025-04-15T06:06:18+00:00

Introduction: This study evaluates the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio
(PLR) as a predictive, non-invasive biomarker for assessing liver
fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Liver fibrosis

staging is crucial for disease management, and a reliable non-
invasive marker could reduce the need for liver biopsy.Methods:

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Dr. RML Hospital,
New Delhi, including 120 CHB patients. Patients were categorized based
on fibrosis severity (F0-F4) using transient elastography (FibroScan).
PLR was calculated by dividing the platelet count by the lymphocyte
count. Statistical analysis included ROC curve analysis to determine the
predictive accuracy of PLR, with sensitivity, specificity, and predictive
values assessed at an optimal cut-off.
Results: PLR was significantly lower in patients with advanced fibrosis
(mean PLR: 106.07 ± 10.97) compared to those with mild or no fibrosis
(mean PLR: 115.55 ± 11.17) (p < 0.001). ROC analysis indicated a PLR
cut-off of 112.5, with a sensitivity of 81.67% and a specificity of 66.67%
for predicting advanced fibrosis (F4). The area under the curve (AUC)
was 0.73, indicating moderate diagnostic accuracy.
Conclusion: PLR shows a significant correlation with liver fibrosis severity
and may serve as a cost-effective, non-invasive biomarker for fibrosis
assessment in CHB patients. These findings suggest that PLR could aid
in early disease monitoring and risk stratification, reducing reliance on
invasive liver biopsy.

How to cite this article:
Raj U, Singh J. Evaluating Platelet-to-Lymphocyte
Ratio as a Predictive Biomarker of Liver Fibrosis
in Chronic Hepatitis B. J Adv Res Med 2024;
11(4): 7-13.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2349.7181.202410

Journal of Advanced Research in Medicine (E-ISSN: 2349-7181 & P-ISSN: 2394-7047)

Awareness about Tuberculosis among Adult Patients Attending OPD of a Tertiary Health Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Evaluating Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictive Biomarker of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B