"Background: In the era of direct observation treatment (DOT) for tuberculosis, clinicians need to focus on high risk groups. We present sputum conversion rate at 2 months and factors influencing it.
Objectives: To determine factors that prolong sputum smear conversion among smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the end of the Intensive Phase.
Method: 150 adult (> 18 years) patients of sputum smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included. 2 months following DOT, sputum was retested to determine sputum conversion rate.
Results: Of 150 sputum positive TB cases, 123 (82%) patients were sputum negative 2 months after DOT. In this study we found that among 43 patients of age > 50, after two months of treatment, 15 (35%) patients were sputum smear positive. Among 66 smoker patients, 19 (20%) patients were sputum smear positive. Among 24 pa-tients of bilateral X-Ray involvement, 12 (50%) patients were sputum smear positive. Out of 40 patients of +3 bacillary load, 17 (42%) were sputum smear positive.
Conclusion: Factors affecting sputum conversion in this study were male patients, patients with age > 50 years, smokers, patients with past history of pulmonary tuberculosis, bilateral involvement in chest x ray and high bacillary load (+3).
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Key words: Tuberculosis, Direct Observation Treatment
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