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Tuber Lung Dis. 1 December 1992; Volume 73 (Issue 6); 384-387.; DOI: 10.1016/0962-8479(92)90045-l
Sukrakanchana-Trikham P
Tuber Lung Dis. 1 December 1992; Volume 73 (Issue 6); 384-387.; DOI: 10.1016/0962-8479(92)90045-l
Tuberculosis control among displaced persons is fraught with difficulties to ensure adherence of patients to treatment for a prolonged period of time. In the Khao-I-Dang camp for Cambodian refugees an approach with daily, directly observed treatment throughout the course of 6 months duration was chosen to address the problem. Of a total 929 patients with sputum smear-positive tuberculosis who were enrolled from 1981 to 1990, 5.0% died, 75.5% completed treatment and were bacteriologically cured with a day-to-day adherence of more than 98%, none failed bacteriologically, 19.2% were transferred to another camp where continuation of treatment was guaranteed, and only 0.4% absconded from treatment. These data suggest that the approach to tuberculosis control in this refugee camp was very effective in cutting the chain of transmission of tuberculosis in a highly mobile population and in reducing substantially unnecessary morbidity and mortality.