title: Determinants of death among tuberculosis patients in a semi urban diagnostic and treatment centre of Bafoussam, West Cameroon: a retrospective case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide public health problem with 8.6 millions of new cases and 1.3 millions of death annually. Despite the progress recorded in fighting against this disease in the recent years, Africa is still not on the track to achieve the objective to reduce by half the death rate due to this disease by 2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted on data of patients admitted for tuberculosis between 1996 and 2011 in the Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Baleng. Cases were patients who died from any cause during anti tuberculosis treatment. Logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated to death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 4201 patients treated during the study period, 3245 (77.24%) were included in the study. The mean age was 35.9 (SD 14.2) and male represent 62.2% (CI 60.6- 63.9) of them. At the end of the follow up, 2883 patients were successfully treated, 362 died during treatment and 132 (36.5%) deaths occurred during the first two months of TB treatment. HIV positive status, Extra-pulmonary TB, sputum smear-negative pulmonary TB and male sex were significant independent risk factors of death with adjusted odds ratio of 4.8 (CI 3.2- 7.4); 3.0 (CI 1.6- 5.4); 2.7 (CI 1.7- 4.4) and 1.5 (CI 1.0- 2.3) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mortality rate of TB patients undergoing TB treatment remains high. Studies are needed to identify and test efficient interventions of mortality reduction among TB patients in resource limiting settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Fabrice Nembot
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Djouma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Diagnostic and Treatment Centre of Baleng, Bafoussam, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noubom
authors.affiliation: Central Technical Group Expanded Program on Immunization, Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Armelle Viviane
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ngomba
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Donfack
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Patrick Stéphane Mfin
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Kouomboua
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Michael Amede Fopa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
keywords: Cameroon; Tuberculosis; death; factors