Aims: To reduce mortality, morbity, and transmission of the disease.
To integrate TB screening and treatment with the national agreed protocols of Sierra Leone (Kambia District)

Suspect pulmonary TB if patients have any of the following symptoms:

3-week history of:

  • Cough not responding to antibiotics
  • Haemoptysis
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Pain in the chest

TB may also present with extra pulmonary findings (particularly in children)

Ensure patients know that treatment is free

Catholic Feeding Centre

  • Write letter to Wesleyan Clinic. Include child’s name, age, village and why the child is a TB suspect.
  • Child and mother to take letter to Wesleyan clinic.
  • TB treatment to be provided by the Wesleyan clinic.
  • Child returns to CFC with drugs and completed TB registration card
  • Child to remain an inpatient in the CFC for completion of malnutrition treatment. TB treatment administered daily and TB medical treatment card completed.
  • At discharge from CFC, child given remainder of medication. Child and mother sent to Wesleyan clinic for Mr Banghura to arrange follow up in Wesleyan clinic or community clinic nearest to child’s village.
  • Follow-up and on-going treatment of the child is the responsibility of the national programme.

Clinics

Madina

  • TB suspect is referred to the Wesleyan Clinic by letter.
  • Wesleyan clinic will arrange sputum collection, treatment and follow-up
  • Dispensing of drugs and follow up is the responsibility of the national programme (Kambia District).

Malikia and Kathantineh

  • TB suspect asked to provide spot sample in labelled pot. This to be returned to Wesleyan clinic with completed referral form, for registration, by designated member of staff.
  • 2 more labelled sputum pots to be returned to the Malikia clinic the following week. These to be returned to the Wesleyan clinic as before.
  • If TB is strongly suspected, highlight clinical details on referral form so that treatment can be dispensed ASAP
  • Dispensing of drugs and follow up is the responsibility of the National TB Programme (Kambia District).

NB: HIV testing is carried out on all TB suspects when they attend the Wesleyan Clinic. For patients from Malikia, HIV testing can be carried out at Kathiri. (An alternative would be for the Malikia nurses to be taught how to do HIV testing)

10/3/11
Sethi Sawicki

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