Study of Anemia among Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Aims & Objectives: To investigate anemia in patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis and association between anemia patients’ hemoglobin levels and the severity of their pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: The present hospital-based study was conducted for one year (January 2023 to December 2023) on 100 pulmonary tuberculosis patients who attended Emergency, IPD, OPD of Muzaffarnagar Medical College and Hospital. The samples were tested using an automated cell counter that measured all relevant parameters, such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. Results: Anemia was present in maximum study subjects (66%) and showed a statically significant value (p=0.002). Of the total 66 anemic subjects, 41 (62.12%) had normocytic normochromic anemia, 18 (27.27%) had hypochromic microcytic summary 51 anemia, 7 (10.61%) had hypochromic normocytic and no subject had macrocytic anemia, showing a statistically significant value (p=0.001). Sputum positivity for AFB grade showed a statistically significant difference between anemic and non-anemic subjects (p<0.01). Conclusion: The study concluded that a significant proportion of TB patients had anemia. The results of the study indicate that anemia is particularly common in patients with the most severe clinical forms of tuberculosis (TB), and that it may be utilized as a biomarker of the severity of tuberculosis. Anemia was substantially correlated with grade of AFB.