Vitamin A Supplementation in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients on Acceleration of Sputum Conversion in Medan City

BACKGROUND: Indonesia is in the second rank for the most TB (Tuberculosis) cases in the world after India. It is estimated that there are 1 million cases per year in Indonesia. AIM: To find out the influence of Vitamin A supplementation in the medication of pulmonary TB on the acceleration of sputum conversion time at an intensive phase in the Working Area of Puskesmas in Medan Kota Subdistrict METHODS: This research was Quasi Experiment method. With two groups. The samples were 30 newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients consisting of of15 patients in the treatment group and 15 patients in the control group. The statistical data were analysed with t independent test, significance 95% (p < 0.05) RESULTS: The treatment group discovered that they were mostly 18-27 years old 40.0%, male 73.3%, mostly university students 26.7%, had BTA conversion in the second week 80.0%; and the sputum conversion time was 2.4 weeks in average. The results of the research on the control group demonstrated that they were mostly 18-27 years old 33.3%, male 80.0%, mostly university students and entrepreneurs 20.0%, had BTA conversion in the second week 80%; and the sputum conversion time was 4.1 weeks in average. Vitamin A supplementation in the medication of pulmonary TB patients had some influence on the acceleration of sputum conversion at the intensive phase (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that Vitamin A in the medication of pulmonary TB patients had some influence on the acceleration of sputum conversion at the intensive phase in the Medan Kota.