Retrospective descriptive study of adult tuberculosis in Wuhan, China

To determine the rate and associated factors of adult tuberculosis (TB) in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

A retrospective descriptive study of 417 patients registered for TB treatment from 1 January to 31 December 2001.

The mean age of admission was 38.47 (median 35) years, with males aged 20-40 years mostly affected; 191 (45.8%) TB patients were classified as smear-positive, 221 (53%) smear-negative and for five (1.2%) the sputum results were not known. Of all admissions, 43 (10.32%) were retreatment cases and 50 (11.99%) were diagnosed as extra-pulmonary TB. All patients were treated under the DOTS strategy, with 391 (93.76%) cures, five (1.2%) treatment completed, five (1.2%) treatment failures, four (0.96%) deaths, three (0.72%) defaults and nine (2.16%) transfers out. Cure was associated with age (chi2 = 3.92, P < 0.05), but not with sex, retreatment TB, extra-pulmonary TB, type of treatment regimen, BCG status or delay in treatment (P > 0.05).

DOTS provides high TB cure rates. The reasons for the low detection rates, high retreatment rates and the increasing number of young adults affected by TB need further elucidation. For these purposes, routine human immunodeficiency virus screening and sputum culture for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and case detection may be required.