Epidemiological assessment of re-treatment pulmonary tuberculosis patients (Tehran, 1999)

Abstract Background: WHO divides tuberculosis into four categories according to involvement and treatment history: new patients with positive sputum and extra pulmonary as first category, re-treatment patients as second category, pulmonary tuberculosis with negative sputum as third category, and chronic tuberculosis with positive sputum as forth category. Objective: This research was conducted to determine the epidemiological assessment of re-treatment pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Daneshvary hospital, Tehran. Methods: The research was a cross-sectional study in nature. In this study 292 medical records were evaluated, consisting of 261 cases of new positive smear and 31 cases of re-treatment patients. All patients were registered during 1999. Results: Of 292 positive sputum patients, 31 (11%) was re-treatment patients. About 35% classified as relapse cases, 10% as defaulters and 55% as failures. The percentage of cured patients in defaulters was more and in failures was less than other classes. Conclusion: As the strongest risk factor associated with relapse is poor treatment, the strongest risk factor associated with default is disorganization and unavailability to health services and the strongest risk factor associated with failure is drug indication and drug resistance, more attention is appropriate for responsible organs.