[A study of the risk factors for relapse in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and the results of the re-treatment].
The percentage of relapses among the global TB incidence in Romania increased from 7.7% in 1990 to 13.1% in 1999. The study group included 648 cases with relapsing lung tuberculosis, registered in the second semester, 1997. In more than half of the cases (54.9%) the relapse occurred in the 5 years following the healing of the previous episode. The percentage of 65.5% smear positives represents an increase compared to the first episode (61.7%) and illustrates the severity of these cases. From the first to the second episode, there was an increase of the percentage of "unemployed" and "retreated". Associated diseases were: COPD (10.6%), peptic ulcer (10%) and chronic hepatitis (9.6%). We found high percentages for drinking habits (46.9%) and smoking (41.5%). The re-treatment resulted in only 49% healing, compared to 75.7% at the first episode. This calls for an improvement of initial chemotherapy as well as re-treatment (introducing DOTS).
Didilescu
C
C
Institutul Naţional de Pneumoftiziologie Marius Nasta Bucureşti.
Ibraim
E
E
Plopeanu
D
D
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*