[Antituberculosis treatment default among the immigrant population: mobility and lack of family support]

To identify antituberculosis treatment outcomes among the immigrant population and determine the variables associated with treatment default.

We performed a prospective cohort study that included cases of tuberculosis in immigrants older than 15 years diagnosed in 15 public hospitals of the Community of Madrid in 2003. Firstly, a descriptive study was performed. Subsequently, a bivariate/multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regressions. The dependent variable was treatment default vs successful treatment.

Of 296 cases, 75.0% successfully completed the treatment, 8.4% defaulted, 2% died, 0.7% showed treatment failure, and 7.1% transferred out; information loss occurred in 6.8%. The variables independently associated with treatment default were female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 0.18; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.03-0.95), living with relatives (0.23 [0.08-0.66]) and moving to another autonomous community (5.52 [1.17-25.93]) compared with not moving.

Antituberculosis treatment outcomes in the immigrant population need to be improved. To achieve this aim, healthcare coordination should be improved in the mobile population and strategies to increase treatment compliance among persons not living with relatives are required.