Treatment of bacillary pulmonary tuberculosis at the chest clinics in the private sector in Korea, 1993.
METHODS
Cohort study of bacillary pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated at private sector chest clinics in Korea.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the treatment behaviour of physicians in private chest clinics and the treatment outcomes of their patients.


METHODS
1) A retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients admitted from July through October in 1993, and 2) comparison with results from health centres under the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP).


RESULTS
Nine hundred and sixty bacillary patients (507 newly diagnosed--'new', and 453 retreatment--'old') were admitted to the study. Initial smears and cultures were not performed in 7% and 21%, and follow-up smears and cultures not done in 19% and 28%, respectively. The regimens prescribed were variable: 23 in 'new' and 72 in 'old' patients, 86 in total. Six-month short-course treatment using HRZE was prescribed for 26.2% of 'new' patients. In many instances, the planned treatment duration was excessive. The success rates (cured plus completed) for 'new' and 'old' patients were 74% and 51%, respectively. The failure rates were less than 1% in 'new' and 9% in 'old' patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Prescribed regimens were variable in terms of drug combinations and treatment duration. Overall treatment outcome was inferior to that of the health centres under the NTP.
Hong
Y P
YP
Korean Institute of Tuberculosis/Korean National Tuberculosis Association, Seoul.
Kim
S J
SJ
Lee
E G
EG
Lew
W J
WJ
Bai
J Y
JY
D000328:Adult; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011331:Private Practice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*