European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Introduction: The treatment of childhood TB is based on the same principles as the treatment of adult TB. The standard treatment regimen for childhood TB consists of a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for two months, followed by isoniazid and rifampicin for four months. Children with TB are treated with weight-based dosages of anti-TB drugs. Aims: To investigate delays and barriers in treatment initiation in children with TB. Material and Methods: The Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Pediatrics at the Govt. Medical College in Patiala carried out this cross-sectional investigation. In the current investigation, 126 participants in total were included. The study comprised children who had been diagnosed with T.B. (Pulmonary or Extra Pulmonary TB) during the course of a year and were patients at the department of Pulmonary Medicine and Paediatrics, Govt. Medical College, Patiala. Result: Delay was seen in 48.41 percent of the patients. Reasons for delay in treatment initiation as per parents/caregivers was denial diagnosis, economic constraints, lack of understanding and transportation challenges found to be present in 10.32 percent, 7.14 percent, 15.08 percent and 15.08 percent of the patients respectively. Conclusion: Strengthening HCP awareness regarding the importance of TB symptom screening and encouraging early referrals are crucial for rapidly scaling up early treatment initiation in childhood TB.