Quality of diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis in Northern Ethiopia: medical records-based retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES

To determine quality of diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response of patients with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) compared with smear-positive cases in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of medical records of newly diagnosed pulmonary TB cases that were registered for taking anti-TB medication and had completed treatment between 2010 and 2012. We evaluated the percentage of cases that were managed according to the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC) and compared smear-negative with smear-positive cases.

RESULTS

We analysed 1168 cases of which 742 (64%) were sputum smear-negative cases. Chest radiography examination at diagnosis and microbiological testing at the end of the intensive phase of treatment was performed in a smaller proportion than in smear-positive TB cases (70% vs. 79%, P value <0.001) and (70% vs. 95%, P value <0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical actions recommended in the ISTC are of greatest importance in minimising pitfalls in care of smear-negative TB yet were performed less often in smear-negative than smear-positive TB cases.