AFB smear positive 1+: a dominant factor in Pulmonary TB household transmission

Background: Tuberculosis has become a global health problem, included in Indonesia, new cases of pulmonary TB increase continuously. This study examined the dominant factors that influenced the transmission of household contacts in pulmonary TB patients. Methods: This observational study was a cross-sectional analytic design which used a population of all patients and family members of pulmonary TB patients at the Kedundung Health Center in 2015 until 2016. A sample of 52 people was counted using the infinith sample size formula and taken consecutively. Research variables include prevention behavior, AFB smear gradation, and household contact transmission. Collecting data used interview sheets, data collection sheets, sterile sputum pots. Data was analyzed by chi-square test and binary logistic regression test with a significance level of 0.05. Results: Prevention behavior (p=0.093), AFB smear-positive 2+ (p=0.377) did not affect on household contact transmission in pulmonary TB patients, whereas AFB smear-positive 1+ affected household contacts transmission of pulmonary TB patients (p=0.007). The value of Exp (B), AFB smear-positive (1+) have a risk of 12.144 times transmitting to household contact when compared to AFB smear-positive (3+). Whereas patients with AFB smear-positive (2+) have a risk of 3,328 times transmitting to household contact when compared with AFB smear-positive 3+. Conclusion: Pulmonary TB patients with AFB smear-positive (1+) was the dominant factor affecting household contact transmission. Communication and personal hygiene education efforts, the level of adherence in the treatment of pulmonary TB patients needs to be increased to suppress the new incidence of pulmonary TB. (Health Science Journal of Indonesia 2020;11(1):15-21)