Tuberculosis treatment default among Brazilian children.

OBJECTIVES

To study the prevalence and time of tuberculosis (TB) treatment default among children and to compare defaulters with those who completed treatment.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study at the Hospital Municipal Jesus, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, among TB patients aged <15 years followed from 1998 to 2002. The group that completed treatment was compared with those that defaulted.

RESULTS

The records of 248 patients were studied. The default rate was 24.2% and was more frequent in the first 2 months of treatment (43.3%) and among those aged <1 year (42.4%). The following variables were associated with default: previous default (relative risk [RR] 1.99, 95%CI 1.12-3.54, P = 0.035), father not living with the child (RR 1.85, 95%CI 1.06-3.21, P = 0.030) and father using illicit drugs (RR 2.93, 95%CI 1.44-5.97, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Health professionals responsible for treating children with TB should pay special attention to children aged <1 year, those with a history of previous default, and those whose father is absent or an illicit drug user.