title: Factors affecting successful treatment outcomes in pulmonary tuberculosis: a single-center experience in Turkey, 2005-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to describe the treatment outcomes in patients with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and identify factors associated with successful treatment outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical charts of patients with smear and/or culture-positive PTB who were treated between 2005 and 2011 at the Kocaeli Tuberculosis Dispensary, Turkey, were reviewed. Patients were categorized as having a successful (cured or with a completed treatment) or poor (treatment default, treatment failure, death) treatment outcome. The association of demographic and clinical factors, including gender, age, education, occupation, insurance, family size, living area, smear and culture positivity, retreatment, comorbidity, drug resistance, and cavity on radiography, with the success of treatment, was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 738 patients (258 females, 480 males) with bacteriologically confirmed PTB, 683 (92.6%) had successful treatment outcomes. Of those with a poor outcome, 29 (3.9%) had treatment default, 18 (2.4%) died, and 8 (1.1%) had treatment failure. Young age, no previous treatment, no comorbidity, no drug resistance, and high education level were factors significantly associated with successful PTB treatment outcome (p < 0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment outcome was successful in young and educated PTB patients who had drug resistance, previous treatment history, and no comorbidities. Knowledge of the factors affecting treatment success will lead to the undertaking of specific measures in the management of PTB, which may help to decrease treatment failure.
authors: Kocaeli Derince Education and Research Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey. dr.aysunsengul@hotmail.com.
authors: Aysun
authors: A
authors: Sengul
authors: Ulku Aka
authors: UA
authors: Akturk
authors: Yusuf
authors: Y
authors: Aydemir
authors: Nurullah
authors: N
authors: Kaya
authors: Nagihan Durmus
authors: ND
authors: Kocak
authors: Fatma Turan
authors: FT
authors: Tasolar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents