Treatment outcomes In RNTCP

Treatment outcomes In RNTCP,every patient registered has one of the following six outcomes.

• Cured: Initially sputum smear-positive patient who has completed treatment and had negative sputum smears, on at least two occasions, one of which was at the end of treatment.
• Treatment Completed:

1. A sputum smear-positive patient who has completed treatment, with negative smears at the end of IP but none at the end of treatment,
2. A sputum smear-negative patient who has received a full course of treatment and has not become smear-positive during or at the end of treatment,
3. An EP TB patient who has received a full course of treatment and has not become smear-positive during or at the end of treatment.

• Died: Patient who died during the course of treatment, regardless of the cause of death.
• Failure:

1. Any TB patient who is smear-positive at 5 months or more after starting treatment,
2. A patient who was treated with Category Ill but who becomes smear-positive during treatment.

• Defaulted: A patient who has not taken anti-TB drugs for 2 months or more consecutively after starting treatment.
• Transferred out: A patient who has been transferred to another TB Unit or district and for whom the treatment result (outcome) is not known.

-- Dr Marwah