Abstract
SettingHawassa, Southern Region of Ethiopia.ObjectivesTo determine compliance to isoniazid (INH) preventive therapy (IPT) and its effectiveness in preventing (TB) disease in children in contact with adults with pulmonary TB (PTB).DesignThis was a prospective cohort study of children <15 years old in contact with adults with smear-positive PTB. Asymptomatic children ≤5 years were provided IPT independently of their Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) status and children >5 years old were given advice but did not receive IPT, as recommended by the National TB control programme. Compliance to IPT and incidence of clinical TB were determined monthly for six months and then quarterly for up to 30 months.ResultsOne hundred and eighty four children in contact with 83 smear-positive PTB cases were identified. Eighty two were ≤5 and 102>5 years old. Only 27 (33%) of 82 children given IPT took it for >4 months and 10 (12%) completed the 6-month course. The main reason for non-compliance was the perception that drugs were not necessary when the child was healthy. Eleven children (all except one >5 years old) developed symptoms of TB disease and initiated treatment, resulting in an incidence of 28.6 cases for all and 53.5 for children >5 years old per 1000 children-year.ConclusionCompliance to IPT in children is poor in Southern Region of Ethiopia and this was associated with the parents' perception of the low importance of chemoprophylaxis in asymptomatic children. Poor compliance might be an important barrier for the wider implementation of IPT.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT00456469
Highlights
IntroductionTuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally (WHO, 2009) and children are estimated to represent between 13% and 15% of cases in high TB burden countries (HBC) [1]
Compliance to IPT in children is poor in Southern Region of Ethiopia and this was associated with the parents’ perception of the low importance of chemoprophylaxis in asymptomatic children
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally (WHO, 2009) and children are estimated to represent between 13% and 15% of cases in high TB burden countries (HBC) [1]
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally (WHO, 2009) and children are estimated to represent between 13% and 15% of cases in high TB burden countries (HBC) [1]. TB is one of the five major causes of death in Ethiopia (WHO, 2006) and in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) childhood TB represents 7.7% of new smear-positive and 13% of all forms of TB reported [2]. Young children have a high risk of TB infection and disease progression because of their intimate contact with adults with pulmonary TB (PTB) [3] and immature immune system [4]. It is recommended that children ,5 years old in contact with adults with smear-positive PTB are screened for tuberculosis disease, and if no disease is found, offered IPT [6]. TB control programmes rarely have the resources and manpower for implementation and several studies have reported that adherence to IPT is generally poor [7,8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
