Evaluation of tuberculosis cases detected in our region between 1999 and 2003

This study investigates the extent of tuberculosis, its clinical features, the specification of the patients with tuberculosis, and evaluates diagnosis, treatment and their effectiveness in our region. The records of 645 patients admitted to the Tuberculosis Control Dispensary in our between January 1999 and December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. The incidence of the disease was 0.012% and it was more common among young men and diagnosed mostly by individual examination. Twenty-six percent of the patients had a history of physical contact with a tuberculosis patient. The pulmonary and extra pulmonary involvement of the disease was 51.8% and 48.2%, respectively. Bacteriologic examination of the patients was as follows; 42.2% did not have a bacteriologic examination, 21.7% was smear and culture positive, 26.8% was smear and culture negative, and 8.7% was smear negative and culture positive. Diagnosis of tuberculosis by bacteriologic examination increased from 39.7% to 73.6% within years. Cure rates of the disease were between 12.5% and 34.4%. Completion rates of tuberculosis therapy were between 53.5% and 72.6% and treatment success rates were between 82% and 95% whereas mortality rates varied between 1.7% and 2.8%. In conclusion, we observed that new cases and smear positive cases of tuberculosis were more common among the young and among the people with low socioeconomic status, bacteriologic examination increased over time and the rate of successful treatment was high but the cure rate was low.