title: Did successfully treated pulmonary tuberculosis patients undergo all follow-up sputum smear examinations?
abstract: To assess response to anti-tuberculosis treatment as per national guidelines, a retrospective record review was undertaken in four districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, in December 2009 to determine whether pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients reported as successfully treated (cured or treatment completed) underwent all scheduled follow-up sputum smear examinations. In a quarterly cohort of 3000 PTB patients reported as successfully treated, 1847 (61.5%) underwent all follow-up sputum examinations, with a higher proportion of new cases (65%) than retreatment cases (45%). The mid-continuation phase follow-up sputum examinations were commonly missed, and 11% patients had not undergone end-of-treatment follow-up sputum examinations.
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), South East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India ; Centre for Operations Research, The Union, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satyanarayana
authors.affiliation: Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme Technical Assistance Project, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Nagaraja
authors.affiliation: Impact Health Solutions, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelamane
authors.affiliation: Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme Technical Assistance Project, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaju
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), South East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.affiliation: State Tuberculosis Office, Directorate of Health, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chander
authors.affiliation: State Tuberculosis Office, Directorate of Health, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vishnu
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), South East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Operations Research, The Union, Paris, France ; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
keywords: India; RNTCP; follow-up sputum examinations; programmes; treatment; tuberculosis