Comparison of Results from Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment of Tuberculosis in Republic of Macedonia

BACKGROUND: The successful treatment of patients with active tuberculosis is one of the priorities in the Tuberculosis Control Programs. AIM: The aim was to establish whether there was a statistically significant difference in the treatment outcome in patients with tuberculosis who began their initial treatment phase and/or pursued it as inpatient, as opposed to patients with tuberculosis who underwent their entire treatment regime as outpatient. Moreover, our goal was to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference in the outcome from the treatment between patients with tuberculosis who were hospitalized up to one month, two months, or more than two months. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study includes 355 patients, divided into two groups. The first group, which consists of 219 patients, began their initial treatment phase as inpatient, and then they continued the treatment as outpatient. The second group, 136 patients, underwent their entire treatment as outpatient. The treatment outcome is determined with every patient (cured, treatment completed, treatment default, treatment failed, died, treatment in progress). For the statistical data analysis and for establishing the significance of the findings regarding the differences between the two groups we used the Pearson Chi-Square Test and the Yates Corrected Test. RESULTS: The statistical analysis with the Pearson Chi-Square Test showed that the treatment outcome does not significantly depend on the model of treatment (p = 0.31). The statistical data analysis showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the achievement of conversion of the bacterial result of the sputum at the end of the initial phase of treatment regarding the studied groups (p = 0.89). The statistical data analysis showed that the length of inpatient treatment affects the outcome of the treatment and that the difference is statistically highly significant (p < 0.00005). CONCLUSION: There are no statistically significant differences in the sputum conversion and the treatment outcome among inpatient/outpatient with tuberculosis or outpatient only; however, the length of inpatient treatment is statistically significant regarding its effect on the treatment outcome.