Delays in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis within a context of medium incidence, Medellín, Colombia, 2017: an operational research.

Background: Delay in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is one of the first obstacles for controlling the disease. Delays generate greater deterioration of the health of the patients and increase the possibilities of transmission and infection at home and in the community. The aim of the study was to identify profiles and individual variables associated with patient delays and health care system delays in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Medellín, Colombia, a city that notifies 1400 new cases per year.