[Tuberculosis control in the Central Health Region of Catalonia during the period 1986-2000].
OBJECTIVE
To assess tuberculosis control in the Central Health Region, Catalonia, Spain, from the implementation of the area's Tuberculosis Control Program in 1986 until the year 2000.


METHODS
To study the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis and the outcome of the following control measures in sputum smear-positive patients: final outcome of treatment and monitoring, and the percentage of patients for whom a contact investigation (CI) was carried out. Tuberculosis control is considered effective if the sum of noncompliant patients, plus the cases in which treatment failed, plus the patients transferred out remains below 10% of the cohort of patients studied, and if a CI has been conducted in at least 80% of this cohort.


RESULTS
The number of cases reported was 6326, of which 7% were retreatments. A total of 5865 new cases was detected. Of these, 5652 (96%) were patients born in Spain. The number of cases reported annually peaked in 1990 (474) and then declined continuously until 2000, when it was 54% lower (220). Foreign-born patients numbered 213 (4%), and 95% of them came from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. In the cohort of patients studied between 1997 and 2000, the sum of noncompliant patients, plus cases in which treatment failed, plus the patients transferred out came to 11%. Since 1994, a CI has been carried out for over 80% of patients, and this figure reached 92% in 2000.


CONCLUSIONS
We consider that a substantial degree of tuberculosis control has been achieved given the decline in tuberculosis morbidity among people born in Spain, the fact that the percentage of noncompliant patients, treatment failures and transfers was only slightly over 10%, and that a CI has been conducted for over 80% of patients since 1994 (92% in 2000).
Miret Cuadras
P
P
Programa de la Tuberculosi de la Regió Sanitària Centre. Institut Català de la Salut. Subdivisió d'Atenció Primària Ambit Centre. Servei Català de la Salut. Regió Sanitària Centre. Cataluña. España.
Pina Gutiérrez
J M
JM
López Sanmartín
J L
JL
Sala Farré
M R
MR
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*