Effectiveness of Family Tuberculosis Treatment

Knowledge about tuberculosis dates back to 4—5 thousand years BC. For a while, it seemed that the infection might soon be overcome. However, since the late 1980s, there has been a significant increase in the incidence and mortality of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. In parallel to this, there has been an emergence and increase in the quantitative and qualitative resistance of mycobacteria to antibacterial drugs, especially the multidrug-resistant type, reaching 60—65 % among patients treated for 5—6 months. The effectiveness of chemotherapy for this type of tuberculosis in Ukraine does not exceed 40—45 %, which determines the urgency of the problem. Objective — to compare the effectiveness of treatment of patients — sources and family contacts of tuberculosis. Materials and methods. Under our observation there were 406 individuals with familial-type tuberculosis, who were divided into the comparison group (source of tuberculosis) — 207 people, and the main group (contacts) — 199 people. The examinations were conducted according to the established standards. Treatment followed the protocols of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Results and discussion. The sources of multidrug-resistant mycobacteria in the comparison group were found in 42.6 % of patients, and among the family contacts of tuberculosis — 39.4 % (p > 0.05), indicating a similar origin. Drug-sensitive forms of tuberculosis mycobacteria were detected in 20.0 % of the comparison group and 20.2 % in the main group. We failed to abacillate 27.8 % patients in the comparison group and 8.1 % in the main group, which is 3.5 times less (p < 0.001). Relapses within 2 years observation occurred in 16.4 % of convalescents in the comparison group and 9.0 % in the main group. Mortality rate of the comparison group is at 13.0 % and 8.5 % of the main group patients. Social rehabilitation of individuals capable of working in the comparison group occured in 16.5 %, and 24.6 % in the main group, which is 1.5 times more (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Therefore, the effectiveness of patient treatment in the main group significantly exceeded that of patients in the comparison group, confirming the importance of organizational measures in phthisiology.