BACKGROUND The success of the current treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis is poor partly owing to a high default rate. Many studies have explored predictors of poor outcomes, but very few have assessed the effects of treatment interruptions on treatment outcomes for MDR tuberculosis. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis among patients with MDR tuberculosis en...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES The quality of life (QOL) of substance abusers is known to be severely impaired. Information on impact of opioid maintenance treatment on the QOL of opioid dependent subjects though available from the developed countries, is lacking from India. This study was carried out to assess the impact of buprenorphine maintenance treatment on the quality of life (QOL) of opioid de...

The effectiveness of modified-directly observed therapy (m-DOT), an adherence support intervention adapted from TB DOTS programmes, has been documented. Describing the implementation process and acceptability of this intervention is important for scaling up, replication in other settings and future research. In a randomised trial in Mombasa, Kenya, patients were assigned to m-DOT or standard of...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between clinical need and hospital bed supply and utilization in Russia; and, to investigate these associations in areas where traditional Russian tuberculosis health care systems exist and where the directly observed therapy-short course (DOTS) strategy has been implemented. DESIGN Ecological study using 2002 routine data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hos...

that repeatedly have proven this assumption to be false and a world literature replete with reports of the success of directly observed therapy, these centers contend that there is no firm evidence demonstrating that directly observed therapy is both effective and essential in the treatment of tuberculosis. It is time for physician organizations from all parts of the international community to ...

objectives this study aimed to understand the patients’ experience of tuberculosis treatment according to dots in iran. patients and methods this study is a qualitative study, using content analysis to examine patients’ experience of tb treatment and to understand their compliance during dots. in this study, a semi-structured interview with open questions was answered by 40 patients, who had a ...