Tuberculosis outcomes in Taipei: factors associated with treatment interruption for 2 months and death.
METHODS
All individuals reported as being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among citizens of Taipei City, Taiwan, in 2003.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate risk factors associated with treatment interruption for at least 2 consecutive months and death.


METHODS
The outcome of PTB cases was determined by consulting medical charts.


RESULTS
Of 1127 PTB patients registered, 824 (73.1%) were successfully treated, 189 (16.8%) died, 65 (5.8%) interrupted treatment, 17 (1.5%) were still on treatment 15 months after commencing treatment and 32 (2.8%) failed. The only significant factor associated with treatment interruption was visits to other health facilities after commencing tuberculosis (TB) treatment. TB patients had a standardised mortality ratio of 8.7 (95%CI 7.5-10.0). Factors significantly associated with death were age (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] 1.06. 95%CI 1.05-1.08), sputum culture not performed/unknown (adjHR 2.07, 95%CI 1.47-2.92), and comorbidity with respiratory disease (adjHR 1.68, 95%CI 1.24-2.27), infectious disease (adjHR 2.80, 95%CI 2.07-3.78), renal disease (adjHR 2.58, 95%CI 1.82-3.66) or cancer (adjHR 3.31, 95%CI 2.35-4.65), compared with other patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Visits to other health facilities were associated with interruption of treatment for at least 2 months. A high proportion of deaths was due to old age and comorbidity.
Chiang
C-Y
CY
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France. cychiang@theunion.org
Lee
J-J
JJ
Yu
M-C
MC
Enarson
D A
DA
Lin
T-P
TP
Luh
K-T
KT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult