Treatment outcome of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in a tertiary hospital in Bauchi Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) remains a major public health concern in both developing and developed countries, but the impact is much felt in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, with high predisposing risk factor of co-morbidities of poverty, and high incidence of HIV. Information on the demographics and outcome is necessary for the control of the disease. The demographic characteristics and the treatment outcome of PTB have not been reported in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi. Therefore, this study was aimed to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and determine the treatment outcome of the patients attending the Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) clinic at the institution. Demographic and outcome variables were extracted from the medical records and patient treatment by using a standard structured questionnaire and the results were express in percentages and frequencies. A total of two hundred and fifty nine (259) PTB patients records were extracted and entered into the study data base. Their Gender distribution was 146(56%) males and 113(44%) females age range of 15-70 years. Majority of the patient were civil servants with some level of education and earned less than thirty thousand (₦30,000) Naira, approximately sixty five dollars ($65) monthly. Most of them lived less than 5 Kilometres from the clinic. Eighty percent (80%) of patients were successfully treated while in 20% were not successfully treated. This study showed that pulmonary tuberculosis affects mostly the most productive age group of the population with some level of education and low income. The success rate of treatment falls short of the recommended success rate suggested by WHO. There is need for further studies to identify the factors responsible for failure to achieve the WHO recommendation as well as factors responsible for unsuccessful treatment.