A follow up study on revised national tuberculosis control programme (rntcp): results from a single centre study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge.
• Effective treatment and follow-up are crucial for patient outcomes and disease control.
• The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in India utilizes Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term follow-up status of tuberculosis patients one year post-treatment completion.
• To evaluate treatment outcomes including asymptomatic status, relapse, and mortality within the RNTCP framework.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of TB patients registered between June 2003 and June 2004 was followed up one year after treatment completion.
• Home visits by health visitors were conducted for clinical assessment.
• Symptomatic patients underwent radiological and bacteriological evaluation.

Main Results:

• Out of 212 patients who completed treatment, 152 were interviewed after one year.
• 137 patients (90.1%) remained asymptomatic.
• 11 patients (7.2%) relapsed, and 4 patients (2.6%) died during the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• The majority of tuberculosis patients (90.1%) remain asymptomatic one year after completing treatment under DOTS.
• The DOTS strategy demonstrates high effectiveness in achieving sustained positive outcomes for TB patients.
• Long-term follow-up is essential for monitoring TB treatment success and identifying potential relapses.