A comparison of treatment outcome in re-treatment versus new smear positive cases of tuberculosis under RNTCP.

A study was conducted to compare and quantify the treatment outcome in re-treatment cases as compared to the new smear positive cases of Tuberculosis under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program in District Tuberculosis Center, Yavatmal district, Maharastra in 2003. The cure rates were 68% and 84% in the new smear positive and the re-treatment group respectively. Favorable outcomes were significantly less in the re-treatment group (66.47%) as compared to the new smear positive cases (84.28%). Unfavorable outcome of default and failure was also more among different subgroups of re-treatment category.