Abstract:
Tuberculosis remains a major global health problem. It causes ill-health among
millions of people each year and ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious
disease worldwide, after the human immunodeficiency virus. Although the implementation of
directly observed treatment, short course increases treatment success and decrease transmission
of resistant tuberculosis but global tuberculosis incidence is still growing at 1% a year due to the
rapid increase in Africa. Several risk factors for poor tuberculosis treatment outcomes have been
reported but it is not clear which factors are major contributors to poor outcome of tuberculosis
patients especially in the resource limiting countries.
Objective: To assess the outcomes of tuberculosis treatment and associated factors in the
University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A five year retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed and data were
collected through medical record review. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for
Social Sciences of windows version 16, binary and multiple logistic regression methods were
used. P value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant in the final model.
Results: Out of the 1584 PTB patients (882 males and 702 females) included all age group,
60.1% had good outcome and 39.9% had poor treatment outcome. In the final multivariate
logistic model, the odds of poor treatment outcome was higher among patients weight category
(30-39.9Kg) (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.102-2.065), smear negative pulmonary TB (AOR=3.204,
95% CI: 2.277-4.509), extra pulmonary TB (AOR=3.175, 95% CI: 2.201-4.581), retreatment
(AOR = 6.733, 95% CI: 3.235-14.013), HIV positive TB patients (AOR = 1.988, 95% CI: 1.393-
2.838),unknown HIV status TB patients (AOR=1.506,95% CI: 1.166-1.945) as compared to their
respective comparison groups.
Conclusion: High proportion of poor outcome was documented. Low body weight, smear
negative PTB, EPTB, re-treatment cases, HIV-positive TB patients and unknown HIV-status TB
patients were associated factors for poor outcome. Therefore patients at high risk of poor
outcome should be identified early.
