title: Characteristics and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis retreatment cases in three regional hospitals, Uganda.
abstract: METHODS
  Three regional referral hospitals in Uganda with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the treatment outcomes of TB retreatment cases and factors influencing these outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study of routinely collected National Tuberculosis Programme data between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 331 retreatment patients (68% males), with a median age of 36 years, 93 (28%) of whom were relapse smear-positive, 21 (6%) treatment after failure, 159 (48%) return after loss to follow-up, 26 (8%) relapse smear-negative and 32 (10%) relapse cases with no smear performed. Treatment success rates for all categories of retreatment cases ranged between 28% and 54%. Relapse smear-positive (P = 0.002) and treatment after failure (P = 0.038) cases were less likely to have a successful treatment outcome. Only 32% of the retreatment cases received a Category II treatment regimen; there was no difference in treatment success among patients who received Category II or Category I treatment regimens (P = 0.73).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management of TB retreatment cases and treatment success for all categories in three referral hospitals in Uganda was poor. Relapse smear-positive or treatment after failure cases were less likely to have a successful treatment outcome.
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakanwagi-Mukwaya
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Operational Centre Brussels, MSF Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mugabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kosgei
authors.affiliation: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Operational Centre Brussels, MSF Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tayler-Smith
authors.affiliation: MSF Operation Centre Brussels, Kenya Mission, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kizito
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joloba
keywords: ART; NTP; TB-HIV; laboratory; operational research