Tuberculosis treatment outcomes among peri-urban children receiving doorstep tuberculosis care.
Jeena L., Naidoo K.
ObjectiveTo determine the optimal tuberculosis (TB) management strategy for children living in peri-urban, resource-limited settings.DesignWe compared TB treatment outcomes among children aged 0-15 years receiving doorstep care (n = 82) with those of a historical group (n = 97) receiving clinic-based care.ResultsThe doorstep care and clinic-based groups had similar age and sex profiles; treatment default rates were 3.7% (3/82) vs. 38.1% (37/97, P < 0.0001), treatment completion rates were 65.9% (54/82) vs. 51.6% (50/97, P = 0.01), and cure rates were 13.4% (11/82) vs. 2.1% (2/97), respectively (P < 0.0001).ConclusionChildren living in peri-urban communities had improved TB treatment outcomes with doorstep care.