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[Shortened directly observed treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis]
G C Alvarez-Gordillo1, J E Dorantes-Jiménez
1El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chiapas, México.
Objective:
To evaluate the usefulness of the Shortened Directly Observed Treatment (DOT,S) applied to the Tuberculosis Control Program in Chiapas, Mexico.
Material And Methods:
The efficacy and efficiency of treatment was evaluated in a cohort of pulmonary tuberculosis patients confirmed by baciloscopy, who were subjected to treatment under one of three different regimes, self-administered, supervised and DOT,S from January to June 1996.
Results:
Efficacy was 90.9%, 97.7% and 100% for self-administered, supervised and DOT,S treatment, respectively. Efficiency was 68.1%, 77.6% and 88.5% in the same order.
Conclusions:
For public health ends, the DOT,S proved to be the most efficient in the control of tuberculosis, since healing rates were increased and this reduces sources of disease transmission.