Cohort analyses of the treatment of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients under programme conditions in Korea, 1983-1994.

SETTING: Cohort analyses of the results of sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients registered in health centres in Korea under programme conditions from 1983 to 1994. OBJECTIVE: To assess the overall treatment results and their annual changing trend. DESIGN: Retrospective sample surveys of the nationwide treatment results of registered new smear-positive and retreatment patients. RESULTS: The numbers of registered smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients have decreased steadily, from over 35000 in 1983 to about 14000 in 1994. Over 90% of health centres, and 60-80% of registered patients, were covered in the cohort analyses. The overall cure rate for all patients was 56% in 1983; this improved to around 80% in the last three years of the period studied, owing to increased use of short-course chemotherapy. Over 5000 patients per year required retreatment during the first four years; this number decreased steadily to less than 700 in 1994, due to the reduction in initial treatment failures. CONCLUSION: The overall treatment results have improved significantly in Korea, due to the application of short-course chemotherapy.