title: [Clinical, epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of a cohort of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Cali, Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The World Health Organization recommended strategy for global tuberculosis control is a short-course, clinically administered treatment, This approach has approximately 70% coverage in Colombia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The clinical, epidemiological and microbiological characteristics along with drug therapy outcomes were described in newly diagnosed, pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive study, conducted as part of a multicenter clinical trial of tuberculosis treatment. A cohort of 106 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were recruited from several public health facilities in Cali between April 2005 and June 2006. Sputum smear microscopy, culture, drug susceptibility tests to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, chest X- ray and HIV-ELISA were performed. Clinical and epidemiological information was collected for each participant. Treatment was administered by the local tuberculosis health facility. Food and transportation incentives were provided during a 30 month follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients were young males with a diagnostic delay longer than 9 weeks and a high sputum smear grade (2+ or 3+). The initial drug resistance was 7.5% for single drug treatment and 1.9% for multidrug treatments. The incidence of adverse events associated with treatment was 8.5%. HIV co-infection was present in 5.7% of the cases. Eighty-six percent of the patients completed the treatment and were considered cured. The radiographic presentation varied within a broad range and differed from the classic progression to cavity formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delay in tuberculosis diagnosis was identified as a risk factor for treatment compliance failure. The study population had similar baseline epidemiologic characteristics to those described in other cohort studies.
authors.affiliation: Área de Tuberculosis, Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Cali, Colombi. qtextian@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Christian Mauricio
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Sonia Lorena
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Villegas
authors.forename: Hildegard María
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Piñeros
authors.forename: Ennid Margarita
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Chamorro
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.forename: Edna Lorena
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Robinson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Beatriz Eugenia
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ferro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents