title: Determinants of default from pulmonary tuberculosis treatment in Kuwait.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and risk factors of default from pulmonary tuberculosis treatment in Kuwait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied all patients who were registered for pulmonary tuberculosis treatment between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, and admitted into TB wards in El Rashid Center or treated in the outpatient clinic in TB Control Unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 110 (11.5%) patients who defaulted from treatment. Fifty-six percent of those who defaulted did so in the first 2 months of treatment and 86.4% of them were still bacteriologically positive at the time of default. Key risk factors associated with noncompliance were male sex, low educational level, non-Kuwaiti nations, history of default, and history of concomitant diabetes mellitus, liver disease, or lung cancer. Multiple drug resistance was also associated with default from treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Default from treatment may be partially responsible for the persistent relatively high rates of tuberculosis in Kuwait. Health professionals and policy makers should ensure that all barriers to treatment are removed and that incentives are used to encourage treatment compliance.
authors: Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Shanghai, Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 507 Zheng Min Road, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Zhang
authors: Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine Department, Minufiya University, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Gaafer
authors: Public Health Department, Tanta Faculty of Medicine, Egypt ; Ports and Borders Health Division, P.O. Box 35180, 36052 Shaab, Kuwait.
authors: Ibrahim
authors: 0000-0003-3355-1565
authors: I
authors: El Bayoumy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents