title: Prospective multicentre study on the evaluation of antituberculosis treatment results in Italy: comparison of the culture- versus the smear-based methods. National AIPO Tuberculosis Study Group.
abstract: Cohort analysis of treatment outcomes is the most informative technique to evaluate the tuberculosis (TB) control programme. The aim of the study was to assess treatment outcomes comparing the smear- versus the culture-based methods, using data on TB patients treated under programme conditions in Italy. This was a prospective monitoring study based on the standardized collection of forms from a representative sample of Italian TB Units. The forms, with individual data, were reviewed and analysed on a quarterly basis according to the principles of cohort analysis, using both the smear- and culture-based methods. The complete bacteriological profile of patients was analysed at diagnosis and at completion of treatment. Nine hundred and ninety-two TB cases were notified. Among 681 pulmonary cases, 368 cases were culture-confirmed at diagnosis (333 new and 35 retreatment cases, 293 being sputum smear positive, 79.6%). At the end of treatment, out of the 333 new culture-confirmed cases, 136 (40.8%) were defined "cured" using the culture-based method and 108 (32.4%) using the smear-based method (p<0.05, chi2 test). The culture-based method is the recommended tool to evaluate pulmonary tuberculosis treatment results. Culture allows a more precise definition of a "cured" patient in both sputum smear positive and negative tuberculosis cases.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione S. Maugeri, Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione, Care and Research Institute, Tradate, Italy.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Migliori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ambrosetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Besozzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Raviglione
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019233:Retreatment; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents