WEIGHT GAIN IN PATIENTS WITH TUBERCULOSIS TREATED UNDER DIRECTLY OBSERVED TREATMENT SHORT-COURSE (DOTS)

摘要

Set up: One Tuberculosis Unit (TU) in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India where Tuberculosis (TB) patients treatedunder Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) programme.Objective: To identify the effects of weight gain among TB patients at the end of treatment on different" factors suchas socio-economic and demographic characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, treatment under supervision, the typeof DOTS centres and problems in taking drugs.Methods: TB patients registered between May 1999 and December 2004 formed the study population. Multipleregression method was used for the analysis.Results: Among 1557 smear-positive TB patients registered under DOTS programme, the changes in weight rangedfrom a loss of4kgsto a gain of 20 kgs at the end of TB treatment; the average change in weight was 3.22 kgs. The gainin weight at the end of treatment was associated with age (<45 years), DOT at government centres, no problems in takingdrugs as reported by patients and cure rate.Conclusion'. The findings showed that there is an association between gain in weight with DOT at government centresand cure of patients.