A PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON SPUTUM POSITIVE PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AT ASSIUT CHEST HOSPITAL

Abstract

The pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis, the efficacy of DOTS in our locality and the present situation of drug resistance of tubercle bacilli towards the various anti-tuberculosis drugs were studied among 60 sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Of them, 39 were newly diagnosed cases and 21 previously treated cases, with a mean age of 33 years. Direct smear examination of the sputum, culture. and sensitivity test to the first line anti-TB drugs in addition to Ofloxacin were done. Most of our cases were males (71.79%) and (43.3%) of them were between 20-29 years old. Also, (91.7%) of our cases were from rural areas and (43.3%) were farmers. The majority of cases (41.7%) had moderately advanced lesions, followed by minimal advanced lesions (33.3%), and the far advanced lesions were the least (25%). The incidence of diabetes mellitus in our study was 10%. We applied the DOTS system (Directly Observed Treatment with Short Course Chemotherapy) in treatment of our cases, where the newly diagnosed cases were given treatment for 6 months in the form of: a) Initial Phase: For two months: (Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Streptomycin, Pyrazinamide). b) Continuation Phase: For four months: (Rifampicin, Isoniazid). The previously treated cases were given treatment for 8 months in the form of: a) Initial Phase: For two months: (Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Streptomycin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol). For one month: (Rifampicin, Isonizid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol).