ABSTRACT
Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem worldwide. Two deaths occur for every three minutes in India due to tuberculosis and two people become sputum positive for tuberculosis every minute. Designated Microscopic Centre (DMC) is the most peripheral laboratory unit under RNTCP catering to population of one lakh. Objective: To know the outcome of tuberculosis patients in terms of treatment success, cured, treatment completed, transferred out, died and defaulted among registered TB cases under DMC. Methodology: Five years’ secondary data about tuberculosis patients on DOTS under the Designated Microscopic Centre (DMC), Vantamuri (R) PHC, Belgaum from January 2008 to March 2013 was included. Total of 182 patients on DOTS, who were enrolled under Vantamuri (R) DMC during this period were included for data analysis. Revised International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD, 2001) definitions in tuberculosis control were used. Data was analysed using percentages. Results: Among 182 study participants, 105 patients (57.7%) were males and 77 (42.3%) were females. Overall treatment success rate was 90.7% among TB patients enrolled under Vantamuri (R) DMC. Conclusion: Males were affected more than females by TB. Eight out of ten TB patients were in the age group of 20-60 years. Study area DMC performed similar to national averages.