title: The Italian AIPO study on tuberculosis treatment results, report 1997. National AIPO "Tuberculosis" Study Group.
abstract: In Italy no national data have been available on tuberculosis (TB) treatment results. In 1995 the AIPO (Italian Association of Hospital Pneumologists) TB Study Group, in collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (technical branch of the Ministry of Health) started a prospective monitoring activity based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the case findings and treatment results during 1997. Data were collected from a representative network of TB units nation-wide, managing a significant proportion of all TB cases notified in Italy each year. A total of 715 TB cases were reported (56% males; 24% immigrants), of which 635 (89%) were new cases. Of these cases 493 (69%) were pulmonary, 187 (26%) extra-pulmonary cases and 35 (5%) both pulmonary and extrapulmonary. The main risk factors for TB were history of recent contact and diabetes among native Italians, human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive status and a history of recent contact among immigrants. The majority of immigrants came from Africa and Central and South America, and stayed in Italy for more than 24 months before the diagnosis of TB was made. Thirty-six per cent of patients had a positive direct sputum smear examination for alcohol acid-fast bacilli and 27% were resistant to any drug (monoresistance to isoniazid: 2.4%; multi-drug resistance: 7.5%). In 97% of cases the duration of treatment was < 12 months. The overall success rate (cured plus treatment completed) was 78.1%. A significantly higher percentage of deaths, which was age related, was found in native Italians, while immigrants had a higher default rate. In conclusion, case finding and treatment results in Italy in 1997 are similar to those described in 1995 and 1996.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, Tradate, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ambrosetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Besozzi
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Codecasa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farris
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nutini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nardini
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Migliori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission