Tuberculosis-diabetes mellitus bidirectional screening at a tertiary care centre, South India.

SETTING: Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) clinics at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, a tertiary care centre in Bangalore, India. OBEJCTIVE: To assess the feasibility and results of TB-DM bidirectional screening. METHODS: A descriptive study conducted from 1 March to 30 September 2012, in which all TB patients were assessed for DM and vice versa. Fasting blood glucose values of ≥126 mg/dl and 110-125 mg/dl were considered as DM and pre-diabetes, respectively. RESULTS: Of 510 TB patients, 32 (6.3%) had been previously diagnosed with DM. Screening among the remaining 478 patients yielded 15 (2.9%) with pre-diabetes and 15 (2.9%) newly diagnosed cases of DM. A higher prevalence of DM was found among patients aged ≥40 years, patients with pulmonary TB and smokers. Of the 47 TB-DM patients, 45 were enrolled in DM care. Of 1670 DM patients followed up in DM clinics, 45 already had TB. Among the remaining 1625 patients screened, 152 (9%) had symptoms suggestive of TB; two of these were found to have the disease. CONCLUSION: Bidirectional screening for DM and TB is feasible and produces a high yield for DM among TB patients. The yield of TB among DM patients was low and needs future research using new, improved TB diagnostic tools.