Majority of TB Patients Do Not Complete Therapy

New research shows that less than half of patients starting treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) actually complete therapy. Researchers from several major medical institutions, including Boston University School of Public Health, found that at 32 clinics in the United States and Canada, 123 of 720 patients tested and offered treatment for LTBI declined. Furthermore, of 1,994 patients who started treatment for LTBI in 68 US and Canadian clinics, 1,045 failed to complete therapy.

Employees at healthcare facilities were most likely to decline treatment altogether, while those in congregate settings, such as nursing homes and jail, were least likely to complete therapy. The article was published in the February issue of Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Reference: Chest 2010; 137(2):401-409.