[Follow-up with the assistance of TB-info software of 208 tuberculosis patients who were treated in 2004].
BACKGROUND
The impact of the TB-info software was assessed on the care of patients treated with antituberculosis regimen (ATT).


METHODS
Cohort study of patients with tuberculosis who received an ATT in 2004 in two hospitals and five medical centres in Paris. Follow-up was implemented with the TB-info software. Data were compared to those of the 1999-2003 cohort.


RESULTS
Two hundred and nine ATT were initiated in 2004, with a mean duration of 7.2 months. Demographic and clinical data reflected this population precariousness: 79% were foreign-born, 25% lived in institutions and half of them had no or unusual health insurance. Compared to the previous cohort, viral co-infections were tested in more than 80% cases and showed association with HIV, HBV or HCV in 11, 10 and 5% of the patients, respectively. Twenty-one patients were lost for follow-up (11%) and 76% of the smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis therapies were declared successful but only 34% were declared cured with the WHO criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of the data obtained with TB-info software showed an improvement of tuberculosis patients care with more co-infection tested and less lost for follow-up. These results confirm the usefulness of this software for patients care and assessment of physicians practice in France.
Bourgarit
A
A
Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France. anne.bourgarit@sls.aphp.fr
Mallet
H-P
HP
Keshtmand
H
H
De Castro
N
N
Rambeloarisoa
J
J
Fain
O
O
Antoun
F
F
Picard
C
C
Rocher
G
G
Che
D
D
Farge
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012984:Software; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000995:Antitubercular Agents