title: Study of the feasibility of involving male student volunteers in case holding in an urban tuberculosis programme.
abstract: This paper reports the feasibility of involving unpaid National Service Scheme (NSS) male student volunteers in a city-based tuberculosis (TB) programme in supplying drugs and retrieving non-complaint TB patients. Twenty-five students were selected after assessing their attitude and were trained on TB drug delivery, home visits and motivation of non-compliant patients. Twenty-three sputum positive patients identified in a medical camp were started on an 8-month short-course chemotherapy regimen. Students supplied the drugs on a weekly basis and defaulters were visited. The treatment completion rate was 83% and defaulter retrieval was 57%. All patients had sputum smear conversion by 2 months and one relapsed during the 24-month follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Research Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research, Madras, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajeswari
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiruvalluvan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajaram
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sudha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivasubramanian
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santha
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003150:Community Health Workers; D003906:Developing Countries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014838:Volunteers
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents