SETTING: Twenty-four public tuberculosis dispensaries in Istanbul. OBJECTIVE: To investigate microscopic examination of new pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases and treatment outcomes of smear-positive cases. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of 12572 new pulmonary tuberculosis cases between 1998 and 2000. METHODS: Microscopic examination of sputum smears of all patients and treatment outcomes of smear-positive cases were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 12572 new TB cases registered between 1998 and 2000, 78.1% (n = 9822) were pulmonary and 21.9% (n = 2750) were extra-pulmonary TB cases. Of 9822 new pulmonary TB cases, 5438 (55.4%) were sputum smear-positive and 2154 (21.9%) had no sputum examination. In smear-positive pulmonary cases, treatment outcomes were classified as follows: 2521 (46.4%) cured, 1926 (35.4%) treatment completed, 128 (2.4%) treatment failure, 514 (9.4%) default, 260 (4.8%) transfer out and 72 (1.3%) died. Treatment success was 81.8% (n = 4447). Between 1998 and 2000, the smear-positive case rate improved from 47.5% to 61.5% and the cure rate improved from 41.8% to 51.1%. CONCLUSION: The microscopic diagnosis and cure rates are low in Istanbul dispensaries. The laboratories should be re-organised and directly observed treatment should be performed.
SETTING: Twenty-four public tuberculosis dispensaries in Istanbul. OBJECTIVE: To investigate microscopic examination of new pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases and treatment outcomes of smear-positive cases. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of 12572 new pulmonary tuberculosis cases between 1998 and 2000. METHODS: Microscopic examination of sputum smears of all patients and treatment outcomes of smear-positive cases were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 12572 new TB cases registered between 1998 and 2000, 78.1% (n = 9822) were pulmonary and 21.9% (n = 2750) were extra-pulmonary TB cases. Of 9822 new pulmonary TB cases, 5438 (55.4%) were sputum smear-positive and 2154 (21.9%) had no sputum examination. In smear-positive pulmonary cases, treatment outcomes were classified as follows: 2521 (46.4%) cured, 1926 (35.4%) treatment completed, 128 (2.4%) treatment failure, 514 (9.4%) default, 260 (4.8%) transfer out and 72 (1.3%) died. Treatment success was 81.8% (n = 4447). Between 1998 and 2000, the smear-positive case rate improved from 47.5% to 61.5% and the cure rate improved from 41.8% to 51.1%. CONCLUSION: The microscopic diagnosis and cure rates are low in Istanbul dispensaries. The laboratories should be re-organised and directly observed treatment should be performed.