Table 1 Subgroup analysis of delays in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis
Study level characteristics | Pooled mean delays in days (95% CI) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patients’ | Doctors’ | Diagnostic | Treatment | Health System | Total | |
Plus extra-PTB | ||||||
Yes | 52.6 (41.0–64.3) | 23.6 (13.8–33.3) | 58.2 (31.3–85.2) | 17.9 (13.6–22.2) | 63.5 (37.0–90.1) | 80.5 (65.1–96.0) |
No | 76.0 (63.8–88.2) | 24.7 (22.8–26.7) | 72.0 (36.2–107.9) | 5.7 (4.8–6.5) | 37.1 (34.0–40.2) | 87.6 (80.3–95.0) |
Diagnostic investigation | ||||||
sputum mcs | 75.0 (67.3–82.6) | 26.3 (22.9–33.0) | 70.4 (52.8–88.1) | 5.2 (3.8–6.5) | 37.7 (33.4–42.0) | 88.3 (79.1–97.0) |
sputum culture | 97.0 (71.1–122.3) | 27.4 (22.1–32.7) | 84.7 (41.4–128.0) | 11.6 (10.0–13.3) | 43.8 (33.0–54.6) | 68.4 (58.8–78.0) |
CXR | 99.5 (80.3–118.8) | 20.4 (15.8–25.0) | 45.4 (36.5–54.3) | 12.1 (9.8–14.5) | 43.5 (32.8–54.2) | 97.5 (82.1–112.9) |
Sputum smear PTB | ||||||
Only smear +ve enrolled | 80.2 (62.7–97.6) | 46.7 (36.4–56.7) | 78.0 (60.8–95.2) | 7.8 (6.7–9.0) | 36.5 (32.1–40.8) | 76.6 (70.8–86.5) |
Both +ve/−ve enrolled | 93.6 (70.6–116.6) | 17.6 (11.9–23.3) | 62.0 (2.8–121.0) | 8.7 (6.1–11.3) | 54.3 (44.9–63.7) | 100.7 (87.0–114.4) |
Level of healthcare | ||||||
Tertiary | 87.1 (70.0–104.1) | 51.3 (38.6–64.1) | 73.0 (36.5–109.4) | 30.0 (19.2–40.7) | 31.8 (26.7–36.9) | 80.0 (70.8–89.5) |
Others | 75.7 (62.0–89.4) | 24.2 (16.3–32.1) | 101.3 (75.9–126.7) | 7.0 (6.3–9.3) | 48.0 (36.3–59.8) | 100.9 (87.4–114.3) |
Source of data | ||||||
Patient record | 192.0 (13.0–371.0) | 12.0 (11.8–12.2) | 38.7 (12.2–65.3) | 23.5 (19.9–27.2) | 51.9 (29.2–74.6) | 65.5 (46.3–84.7) |
Survey | 58.9 (39.8–78.1) | 32.8 (27.9–37.7) | 55.0 (9.8–100.2) | 3.0 (2.4–3.7) | 47.6 (36.9–58.4) | 88.8 (79.3–98.4) |
Survey + record | 82.4 (64.5–100.2) | 28.0 (20.6–35.3) | 96.8 (70.3–123.3) | 4.3 (3.1–5.4) | 34.3 (30.4–38.1) | 94.9 (81.4–108.4) |
World bank class | ||||||
HIC | 82.2 (62.3–102.1) | 17.1 (14.1–20.2) | 70.8 (18.4–123.2) | 3.5 (2.4–4.7) | 63.7 (44.7–82.8) | 87.3 (74.1–100.4) |
LMIC | 83.1 (71.1–95.0) | 37.6 (31.4–43.8) | 69.2 (59.5–78.9) | 9.8 (8.5–11.1) | 38.5 (32.5–44.5) | 88.4 (80.5–96.3) |
WHO regions | ||||||
AFRO | 68.2 (57.3–79.1) | 30.0 (17.3–42.6) | 36.0 (22.9–49.1) | 7.3 (6.0–8.6) | 33.8 (25.9–41.6) | 96.0 (79.4–112.6) |
AMRO | 98.9 (74.9–123.0) | 28.5 (22.7–34.3) | 132.1 (65.4–198.7) | 8.1 (−2.7–18.8) | 78.6 (13.3–143.9) | 95.7 (78.7–112.6) |
EMRO | 37.9 (19.7–56.2) | 53.3 (37.8–68.7) | 70.5 (27.9–113.1) | 2.4 (2.1–2.7) | 46.6 (29.9–63.3) | 85.6 (62.8–108.5) |
EURO | 71.5 (51.7–91.2) | 48.0 (42.1–54.0) | 71.9 (19.9–123.9) | 17.0 (11.8–22.1) | 57.6 (30.6–84.5) | 92.7 (61.9–123.5) |
SEARO | 75.9 (57.1–94.8) | 55.3 (30.8–79.9) | 53.5 (43.2–63.8) | 16.1 (8.8–23.3) | 31.7 (13.0–50.4) | 82.4 (69.3–95.5) |
WPRO | 99.8 (81.2–118.3) | 15.0 (12.0–17.9) | 60.7 (−4–125.7 | 3.2 (1.6–4.8) | 43.2 (22.3–64.1) | 71.6 (55.9–87.4) |