A Ten-Year Survey of Treatment Outcome in a Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Hospital Implementing Directly Observed Therapy Short (DOTS) Course

One of the constraints in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) patients is non-adherence to treatment resulting in low treatment success rate, treatment failure and increasing incidence of multidrug resistance. In order to overcome this challenge, DOTS have been implemented in some settings. However, the treatment success rate of the implementation of DOTS in this hospital has not been determined. Therefore this study was to determine the success rate in the implementation of DOTS strategy in TB and Leprosy hospital. Methods: A review of the records of treatment of patients with pulmonary TB in this hospital implementing the DOTS programme over a 10 -year period from January 2003 to December 2012 was retrospectively carried out. A total of 2625 Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) smearpositive HIV negative TB patients’ records were surveyed. Results: TB treatment success (cure and treatment completion) was recorded in 1774(67.6%) patients while 722 (27.5%) patients either defaulted or were lost to follow up. Sixty four (2.4%) died during the course of treatment. Conclusion: The use of DOTS in the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Hospital, Igbogene during the period under review recorded some level of success though the success rate was lower than the global average of 85- 87%.