Male Tuberculosis Patients Research Articles

The regularity of attendance of male tuberculosis patients diagnosed at Mulago Hospital between January and July in 1968 and in 1970

Efforts were made in the tuberculosis unit of Mulago Hospital to decrease the default rate of tuberculous patients by (i) having a simple treatment chart printed on the front of all patients envelopes; and (ii) employing 2 health assistants to get detailed addresses, instruct patients and trace defaulters. Male patients attending in the first half of 1968 before introduction of these changes were compared with males diagnosed in the first months of 1970; 9·4 per cent of 128 known patients died in the 1968 group and 6·7 per cent of 180 patients in 1970 group. Fifty-seven per cent of patients were lost with less than a years treatment in 1968 compared with 34 per cent in 1970; but the regularity of attendance of the latter before being lost was generally better. Considering as favourable results all those who were sputum-negative on culture when last seen, 20 per cent were favourable in 1968 (many sputum results were not available) and 65 per cent in 1970. The failure rate in 1970 of those who had attended for a year with only minor defaults was 7 per cent, which is similar to the results of treatment with streptomycin, isoniazid and thiacetazone in controlled clinical trials. eshicieron esfuerzos en el Centro de Tuberculosis del Hospital de Mulago para disminuir la frecuencia de abandonos de pacientes tuberculosos por medio de: 1) Colocando una etiqueta en el sobre de las historian de los pacientes; 2) empleando dos visitadoras sociales para conseguir las direcciones correctas, instruir a los pacientes y buscar a los que abandonaban. Se compararon los varones que concurrían en la primera mitad de 1968, antes de introducir estas medidas, con los varones que concurrian a comienzos de 1970. Murieron el 9,4% de 128 pacientes del grupo de 1968 y el 6,7% de 180 casos del grupo de 1970. Se perdieron el 57% de los pacientes con menos de un año de tratamiento, en 1968, y el 34% de los de 1970, pero estos últimos concurrían mas regularmente antes del abandono. Considerando como resultados favorables todos aquellos que tenían cultivos negativos en la última consulta, hubo el 20% en 1968 y el 65% en 1970. La frecuencia de fracasos entre quienes concurrieron durante un año en 1970 fué del 7%, similar a la obtenida en esquemas clínicos controlados cuando se trata con estreptomicina, isoniazida y thioacetazona.