title: Profile of tuberculosis patients with delayed sputum smear conversion in the Pacific island of Vanuatu.
abstract: METHODS
  National tuberculosis control programme, Vanuatu.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess tuberculosis (TB) trends, characterise sputum smear-positive patients with non-conversion at 2 months and assess their treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of programme data over a 9-year period (2004-2012), comparing 2-month sputum non-converters (delayed converters) with sputum smear converters diagnosed in 2011 and 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Annual TB case numbers were similar over the study period, with an average TB notification rate of 58 per 100 000 population. Of 417 sputum smear-positive cases, 74 (18%) were delayed converters. Delayed converters were more likely than converters (88% vs. 79%) to have had high pre-treatment sputum smear grades (OR 2.5, 95%CI 0.97-6.45). Among delayed converters, treatment adherence was high (99% good adherence), outcomes were generally good (90% treatment success, 85% cure, 4% treatment failure) and no drug resistance was detected. Deaths were unexpectedly common among converters (11/80, 14%), with significantly more deaths in Tafea than in Shefa Province (7/58 vs. 2/80, OR 5.35, 95%CI 1.07-26.79). Tafea Province also had the greatest number of delayed converters (30/74, 40.5%) and the highest TB incidence rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delayed sputum conversion was relatively uncommon, and was not associated with adverse outcomes or drug resistance. Regional differences require further investigation to better understand local factors that may compromise patient management.
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Programme, Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanai
authors.affiliation: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Viney
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tarivonda
authors.affiliation: Regional Public Health, Hutt Valley District Health Board, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roseveare
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Programme, Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagaro
authors.affiliation: Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Marais
keywords: 2-month non-converters; Vanuatu; sputum smear; tuberculosis