Predictive factors of lost to follow-up status during tuberculosis treatment

• Published in: Revue des maladies respiratoires Vol. 28; no. 7; p. 894
• Main Authors: Horo, K, Kouassi, A B, Brou-Gode, C V, Ahui, J-M B, Diaw, A, Kone-Konate, F, Toure, K, Gnaze, A Z, N'Gom, S A, Koffi, B N, Aka-Danguy, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; AIDS Serodiagnosis - utilization; Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Chest Pain - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Cote d'Ivoire - epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; HIV Seroprevalence; Humans; Male; Medication Adherence - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Patient Dropouts - psychology; Patient Dropouts - statistics & numerical data; Patient Education as Topic; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Tuberculosis - prevention & control; Tuberculosis - transmission; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - epidemiology; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - prevention & control; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - psychology; Young Adult; Cote d'Ivoire
• ISSN: 1776-2588
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2011.01.012

Patients with contagious tuberculosis who are lost to follow-up risk sowing the disease among their circle of acquaintances. Moreover, a history of inadequate anti-tuberculous treatment is an important risk factor for the development of drug-resistant organisms. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for loss to follow-up among patients undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. We performed a prospective cohort study among patients with contagious tuberculosis, beginning with anti-tuberculous treatment followed during six months, after initial education-information about their condition. We compared the characteristics of 152 patients lost to follow-up from tuberculosis treatment against those of 492 patients who were not lost to follow-up. Independent factors associated with a reduction in the risk of being lost to follow-up were: the presence of night-sweats (OR=0.46 [0.24-0.88]; P=0.018), the presence of thoracic pain (OR=0.27 [0.14-0.54]; P<0.001), screening for HIV (OR=0.41 [0.17-0.98]; P=0.045), fact to inform a person of its disease (OR=0.06 [0.01-0.41]; P=0.004), the application of directly observed treatment in the community (OR=0.34 [0.17-0.66]; P<0.001). Reducing loss to follow-up during treatment for tuberculosis requires the development of a "good attitude" through education-information about tuberculosis.