Factors influencing the management delays of pulmonary tuberculosis in a Tunisian population

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a public health problem particularly in an endemic country such as Tunisia. Early diagnosis and prompt effective therapy are crucial to fight against PTB. <bold>Aim:</bold> To evaluate PTB management delays and identify the associated risk factors. <bold>Methods:</bold> We conducted a retrospective study in the pulmonalogy department of Charles Nicole University Hospital in Tunisia between 2015 and 2023. We included patients with PTB. We evaluated the time between symptoms onset, first consultation and treatment initiation. <bold>Results:</bold> We included 203 patients with mean age of 43.8±17.2years. Gender-ratio was 4.48. The median time to consultation was 58.69 days and to diagnosis was 7days. The median time between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment was 64.34 days. Consultation and management delays were longer for women (p=0.006), elderly patients (p<0.0001), patients in prison (p<0.0001), patients with lung fibrosis (p<0.0001) and insulin-dependent diabetes (p=0.03). In multivariate analysis, only age was influences management delays (p=0.02). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Public awareness and sensitization about the symptoms of tuberculosis are necessary in order to reduce these long delays and initiate treatment as quickly as possible.