Table 1 Standard definition modified from WHO definitions [22]
Treatment outcomes and clinical case | Definitions |
|---|---|
Cured | A patient who was initially sputum smear-positive and who finished treatment with a negative bacteriology result at the end of treatment or was sputum smear negative on two occasions at the end of treatment |
Treatment completed | A patient who completed treatment but did not meet the criteria for cure or failure; this definition applies to sputum smear-positive and sputum smear-negative patients with pulmonary TB and to patients with EPTB |
Treatment failure | A patient who was initially sputum smear-positive and remained bacteriology or sputum smear-positive at month five or later during treatment |
Death | A patient who died from any cause during the course of treatment. |
Lost to follow-up | A patient who has been on treatment for at least 4 weeks and whose treatment was interrupted for eight or more consecutive weeks |
Transfer out | A patient who has been transferred to another recording and reporting unit and whose treatment outcome is unknown |
Successful treatment outcome | A patient who was cured or completed treatment |
Unsuccessful treatment outcome | A patient who had treatment failure, lost to follow up, or death |
Smear-positive pulmonary TB | A patient with at least two sputum specimens which were positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) by microscopy, or a patient with only one sputum specimen which was positive for AFB by microscopy, and chest radiographic abnormalities consistent with active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). |
Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis | A patient with symptoms suggestive of TB, with at least two sputum specimens which were negative for AFB by microscopy, and with chest radiographic abnormalities consistent with active PTB, or a patient with two sets of at least two sputum specimens taken at least 2 weeks apart, and which were negative for AFB by microscopy and radiographic abnormalities consistent with PTB and lack of clinical response to 1 week of broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. |
Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) | This included TB of organs other than the lungs, such as lymph nodes, abdomen, genitourinary tract, skin, joints and bones, the meninges and others. |