Balbay, Öner AbidinBalbay, Ege GüleçArbak, Peri MeramAnnakkaya, Ali NihatBilgin, Cahit2020-04-302020-04-3020111840-2291https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12684/4993Balbay, Ege Gulec/0000-0002-1557-7019; Annakkaya, Ali Nihat N/0000-0002-7661-8830WOS: 000290567700017Setting: Duzce city, a rural area in the northwest part of Turkey. Objectives: To examine the effects of two sequential earthquakes on sociodemographic and disease related features of tuberculosis (TB) patients. Methods: The present study was conducted among newly diagnosed smear positive (from October 1998 to October 2002) 112 pulmonary TB patients based on a specific questionnaire. Patients were divided into 3 groups regarding the time of diagnosis and the period from the initiation to the end of the treatment (pre, peri and post-earthquake periods). Results: Although the present study has not focused on the factors that influence the adherence of patients to TB therapy, no major changes were observed regarding socio-economical parameters that have an effect on the fate of TB. Patients were frequently hospitalized in pre-earthquake period while patients were ambulatory in peri and post-earthquake period (p<0.005). Patients were significantly controlled once a month in peri-earthquake period (p<0.001). Patients were mostly followed by the same doctor in post-earthquake period. Conclusion: It can be stated that the earthquakes had very little impact on the TB during and after earthquakes in Duzce. Further studies including whole Marmara region are needed to interpret the effect of earthquake on TB control.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccesstuberculosisearthquakeArticle53589595WOS:000290567700017N/AQ4