Morbidity and mortality up to 5 years post tuberculosis treatment in South Africa : a pilot study
Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Background: A high risk of tuberculosis (TB), chronic lung disease, and mortality have been reported
among people with a history of previous TB treatment, but data from high-incidence settings remain
limited. The aim of this study was to characterize general morbidity and mortality among adults who had
successfully completed TB treatment in the past 5 years in a high-incidence setting in South Africa.
Methods: Adults ( 18 years) who had completed treatment for pulmonary TB between 2013 and 2017
were randomly selected from TB treatment registers. Household visits were conducted to locate and
interview former TB (FTB) patients, and bacteriological testing for TB was offered. Additional data sources
were used to ascertain the vitality status of FTB patients who could not be located.
Results: Addresses were located for 200 of the 223 FTB patients sampled and 89 FTB patients were
contacted of whom 51 agreed to be interviewed. Approximately half reported persistent respiratory
symptoms, such as shortness of breath and wheezing, and repeated lung infections. One (3.6%) of 28
patients who provided a sputum sample had culture-positive TB and another two were currently on
re-treatment for TB. Fifteen deaths post treatment were ascertained, resulting in a standardized
mortality ratio of 3.8 (95% confidence interval 2.3–6.3) after successful TB treatment relative to the
general population.
Conclusions: In this high-incidence setting, locating and interviewing FTB patients was challenging. The
study
findings are consistent with a high rate of respiratory disease, including recurrent TB, and
substantially elevated mortality among FTB patients.
Description
CITATION: Osman, M., et al. 2019. Morbidity and mortality up to 5 years post tuberculosis treatment in South Africa : a pilot study. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 85:57-63, doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2019.05.024.
The original publication is available at https://www.clinicalkey.com/
The original publication is available at https://www.clinicalkey.com/
Keywords
Tuberculosis -- Treatment, Tuberculosis -- Diseases, Tuberculosis -- Mortality, Lungs -- Diseases, Obstructive
Citation
Osman, M., et al. 2019. Morbidity and mortality up to 5 years post tuberculosis treatment in South Africa : a pilot study. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 85:57-63, doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2019.05.024