Less than half of patients who start treatment complete the recommended therapy course
THURSDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Shorter regimens and interventions for latent tuberculosis infection targeting patients that reside in a nursing home, jail or shelter; injection drugs users; and employees of health care facilities may improve treatment completion, according to a study in the February issue of Chest.
C. Robert Horsburgh Jr., M.D., of the Boston University School of Public Health, and colleagues studied 720 patients at 32 clinics who were offered treatment, and 1,994 patients at 68 clinics who initiated treatment.
In the first cohort of patients, the researchers found that 123 (17.1 percent) declined treatment. In the second cohort of patients, they found that 1,045 (52.7 percent) failed to complete the recommended course. Factors associated with treatment discontinuation included starting the nine-month isoniazid regimen; residence in a nursing home, shelter or jail; injection drug use; age of at least 15 years; and employment at a health care facility (odds ratios, 2.08, 2.94, 2.13, 1.49, and 1.37, respectively).
"Shorter regimens and interventions targeting residents of congregate settings, injection drug users, and employees of health care facilities are needed to increase completion," the authors conclude.
One author reported financial relationships with Pfizer and Oxford/Immunotec. Another author reported having a sibling who works for and owns stock in Amgen.
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