Efficacy of DOTS strategy in treatment of respiratory tuberculosis in Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
We carried out a follow-up cohort study of 260 smear-positive patients [178 on directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS); 82 on non-DOTS] over a 2-year period to evaluate the efficacy of the DOTS strategy in treatment of tuberculosis (TB). All the patients had had cough for > 3 weeks; 91.9% had fever, 60.8% of them with sputum; and 27.7% had a positive family history. The rate of treatment failure with DOTS was 9.0% at the end of the 2nd month and 1.7% at the beginning of the 5th month. In the control group these rates were 18.3% and 7.3% respectively. The DOTS strategy significantly increased the success rate of TB treatment (P < 0.05).
Department of Infectious Diseases, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran. abdolbas@yahoo.com
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003371:Cough / Q000382:microbiology; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy / Q000379:methods; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011718:Pyrazinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D011718:Pyrazinamide; D004977:Ethambutol; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin