Question

A male patient diagnosed with tuberculosis took complete treatment. Sputum examination was done after the completion of the intensive and the continuation phases. It was found to be negative. What is the status of the patient?

• A. Cured
• B. Treatment completed
• C. Lost to follow up
• D. Treatment failed

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

In the context of tuberculosis treatment according to global health guidelines, the classification of the treatment outcome relies on the patient's sputum status post-treatment. Let's examine the key elements:

• Initial Scenario: A patient diagnosed with tuberculosis completes the prescribed treatment regimen.
• Investigations: Sputum examination is conducted after completing both the intensive and continuation phases of treatment.
• Sputum Result: The result is negative, indicating no presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sputum samples.

Based on these findings, the terms used to describe the treatment outcome are:

• Cured: This status is used when a patient with tuberculosis completes the treatment and has sputum samples that are negative both during and upon completion of therapy, demonstrating bacteriological cure.
• Treatment Completed: This would apply if the patient completed the treatment course but no sputum smear or culture results were available to confirm the absence of bacteria.
• Lost to Follow Up: Indicates that the patient did not complete the therapy as planned.
• Treatment Failed: Refers to cases where sputum smears or cultures are positive at the end of the treatment.

Conclusion: Given the information that the patient's sputum test result is negative after the treatment phases, the correct classification of the patient's status is Cured. This indicates successful eradication of the bacterium from the patient's system following the completion of the prescribed course.