Résumé
Tuberculosis [TB] is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacterium, mainly mycobacterium tuberculosis.1 The World Health Organization declared TB a global health emergency in 1993.2 This is a cross sectional descriptive study. To identify factors predicting treatment interruption in pulmonary tuberculosis patients under DOTS [Directly Observed Treatment Short Course] strategy in District Lahore. It is conducted on 421 pulmonary tuberculosis patients under DOTS, in district Lahore, Pakistan in 2006 - 07. At the end of the treatment period, the treatment interrupters were 31 / 421 [7.4%]. Among them 25 / 421 [5.9%] were defaulters, while 6 / 421 [1.4%] were non-compliers. Analysis showed a significantly increased risk of treatment interruption among those who need to travel in order to get medicine [p < 0.0001], those who need to travel a distance of more than 30 minutes walk to get medicine [p < 0.0001], those who occasionally need to buy medicine [p = 0.024] and those patients who were directly observed by health care provider [p < 0.0001]. The issue of treatment interruption in tuberculosis patients and the factors identified in the study, need to be addressed, so the compliance can be improved