Determinants of Treatment Outcomes among Drug-Susceptible Tuberculosis Patients on Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Surveillance of tuberculosis treatment outcomes is very crucial in evaluating successes of tuberculosis (TB) intervention programmes  as well as assessing progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending TB infection by 2030. The study assessed  treatment outcomes of tuberculosis and the determinants among tuberculosis patients on Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTs) at  Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta South-West, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of treatment outcomes of patients managed for Tuberculosis at the facility between January 2015 and  December 2019. Data were retrieved from the treatment register and analysed using IBM® SPSS software version 23. Results were presented using  frequencies and percentages, while the Chi-square test was used to test for association between the treatment outcomes and the independent variables. Binary logistics regression was used to assess for determinants of treatment outcomes at a level of significance of p<0.05.

Results: A total of 726 records were reviewed. The median age of the patients was 35.0 years (IQR 25). The treatment success rate (TSR) and cure  rate were 83.2% and 43.7% respectively. TB patients with negative HIV status were about two times more likely to have successful treatment  outcomes (OR=1.86, 95%CI=1.20-2.88).

Conclusion: The TSR and cure rate obtained in this study were below the national targets set by the World Health Organization, and HIV co-infection  was a threat to successful treatment outcomes among TB patients. Ensuring optimized antiretroviral therapy, prompt diagnosis and  treatment of TB in HIV patients will go a long way in improving treatment outcomes.