Changes in body weight and tuberculosis treatment outcome in Viet Nam

National Tuberculosis Programme, Viet Nam, 2008.

To assess the relationship between changes in body weight and tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome.

All treatment cards of patients from a sample of 30 randomly selected treatment units in the country were analysed.

Of 2609 patients, 2506 (96.1%) had a successful treatment outcome. The median body weight of all patients at diagnosis was 46.0 kg (25th and 75th percentiles 41-51). New sputum smear-positive TB patients with a successful treatment outcome gained an average of 2.6 kg during treatment. Patients with weight loss during the first 2 months of treatment were more likely to have an unsuccessful outcome than patients without (OR 4.9, 95%CI 3.0-7.9). Patients weighing <40 kg at treatment start who gained more than 5% of their body weight after 2 months of treatment had a significantly smaller risk of an unsuccessful treatment outcome than patients who did not (OR 0.2, 95%CI 0.05-0.96).

Patients failing to gain weight or losing weight, particularly during the first 2 months of treatment, require particular attention, as they appear to be at an increased risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome.