title: A unified treatment regimen for new cases of tuberculosis in resource-poor countries: a study in a rural district in Malawi.
abstract: An oral ambulatory unified treatment regimen was introduced in Ntcheu District, Malawi, between April 1996 and June 1997 for all new patients (600) with tuberculosis (TB). There was no change in the case finding pattern compared with the previous 5 years; 65% of new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients completed treatment, not significantly different compared with the previous 3 years. Treatment completion was significantly lower in patients with smear-negative PTB and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, due mainly to high mortality rates (40% and 41% respectively). In a rural district with high human immunodeficiency virus sero-prevalence rates in TB patients, case finding and end of treatment outcome of the oral unified regimen were comparable to those of previous regimens.
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Community Health Science Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi. anshu_banerjee@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mphasa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ringdal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Gorkom
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Salaniponi
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003906:Developing Countries; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000592:standards; D011203:Poverty; D011336:Probability; D012424:Rural Population; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents