Relationship between self reporting of past history of anti-tuberculosis treatment and radiographic findings in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
METHODS
A referral hospital for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate how self-reporting of past exposure to anti-tuberculosis therapy in MDR-TB patients relates to their chest radiographs.


RESULTS
Chest radiographs of 406 patients with bacteriologically confirmed MDR-TB who were admitted to a tertiary referral hospital during 1998-2001 were reviewed. Of 245 patients with chronic radiographic changes, 91% reported previous anti-tuberculosis treatment, while of 161 patients with acute radiographic changes, 70% reported no previous history of TB treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reporting by patients of previous anti-tuberculosis treatment relates to the duration of disease assessed radiologically, and is much more reliable than previously postulated.
Padayatchi
N
N
Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, Caprisa, Congella, Durban, South Africa. padayatchin@nu.ac.za
Levin
J B
JB
Quantrill
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D013019:South Africa; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy
D000995:Antitubercular Agents