Mantoux test defaulters in rural population attending tertiary care hospital in a tuberculosis endemic area

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the main causes of mortality among infectious diseases. The prevalence of tuberculosis is very high in developing countries such as India. Mantoux test is frequently used for the diagnosis of latent or active tuberculosis despite low sensitivity and specificity. However, the Mantoux test is a crucial test in a resource-less setup for the diagnosis of TB. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to find the dropout rate and dropout reasons in Mantoux testing. METHODOLOGY: All suspected TB patients attending out-patient department and further tested for Mantoux test. RESULTS: Of the total 789 Mantoux tests, 459 (58%) were negative, 195 (25%) were positive, and 135 (17%) were dropouts. One of the main reasons for dropout was patients did not give importance to the Mantoux test. CONCLUSION: Dropout rate in Mantoux testing can be reduced by patient counseling regarding TB and Mantoux test by the doctor.