title: Factors associated with poor tuberculosis treatment outcome in the Southern Region of Ethiopia.
abstract: METHODS
  Tuberculosis (TB) treatment centres in southern Ethiopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the outcomes of patients registered for anti-tuberculosis treatment and to identify factors associated with poor treatment outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective audit of patients registered from 2002 to 2007. Patients were categorised as having successful (cured or completed treatment) or poor treatment outcome (failed treatment, defaulted or died). Logistic regressions were used to identify risk factors for poor outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6547 patients (55.6% male, 44.4% female) with a mean age of 27.5 years were registered for treatment; 2873 (43.9%) were smear-positive, 2493 (30.1%) smear-negative and 1157 (17.7%) had extra-pulmonary TB. Most (n = 6033, 92%) were new cases; 4900 (74.8%) had a successful and 1095 (16.7%) a poor treatment outcome. Of those with a poor outcome, 667 (60.9%) patients defaulted, 404 (36.9%) died and 24 (2.2%) failed treatment. Attending the regional capital health centre (aOR 2.09, 95%CI 1.85-2.69), being on retreatment (aOR 2.07, 95%CI 1.47-2.92), having a positive smear at the second month follow-up (aOR 1.68, 95%CI 1.07-2.63), having smear-negative pulmonary TB (aOR 1.62, 95%CI 1.4-1.86), age >55 years (aOR 1.44, 95%CI 1.12-1.86) and being male (aOR 1.24, 95%CI 1.09-1.42) were independent risk factors for poor outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment outcome was suboptimal and targeted measures should be considered to reduce the rate of poor treatment outcome among high-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Sellart
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tumato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Merid
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yassin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents