Abstract

The records for the tuberculosis patients who discharged from the health center during 1982 in Kangwha county were analyzed in order to study the characteristics and the patterns of treatments for the pulmonary tuberculosis patients with the history of previous treatment before registration and also the relationship between the previous history of treatment and the outcome at the time of discharge from the health center. The major findings are as follows. 1. Those who have a history of previous treatment were 58, 22.5% of those 258 patients who were studied. 2. There is no difference in sex however the rate of previous history of treatment was higher among middle age group (20-59) than young and old age group (under 19 or over 60). 3. The rate of previous treatment was rather higher in those lived in remote area from Eup. 4. As for the relationship with occupation, students and civil servants who easily exposured to the public relations of government's tuberculosis control program experienced lower previous treatment before registration than farmers or unemployed. 5. A total of 62.1% were previously treated less than 6 months, 29.3% between 6 and 12 months, and only 8.6% more than 12 months before registration to health center. 6. The most common used anti-tuberculosis drugs were isoniazid and ethambutol but only 13.8% used government-standardized prescription and 69.0% used secondary drugs from its beginning. 7. There was no statistical difference between the previous history of treatment and the outcome at the time of discharge from the health center. However the longer the duration of treatment before registration was the lower the cure rate at health center was.