Tuberculosis treatment outcome in Thessaloniki, Greece - a single center study.
BACKGROUND
Greece is one of the few countries in the European Union/European Economic Area, which do not report tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and identify possible intervening factors in patients with TB in Thessaloniki, Greece, over the period 2012-2017.


METHODS
All patients diagnosed with TB -excluding rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant (RR/MDR)-TB- during 2015-2017 were included in the study. Data on demographic characteristics, localization, diagnostic methods, resistance, and treatment outcome were recorded and compared to the period 2012-2014.


RESULTS
During the period 2015-2017, 82 patients (48 men) with a mean age of 53.8 ± 15.6 years were diagnosed with TB. No significant differences in demographics, microbiological, or treatment characteristics were detected between the two three-year periods, except for the percentage of immunocompromised patients, which was higher during 2015-2017 (15.9 % vs 5.6 %, p =0.029). In the total number of patients, two factors were significantly different between patients with a positive and negative outcome. The percentage of favorable outcome was higher for patients with extrapulmonary compared to pulmonary TB (90.9 % vs 70.5 %, p =0.044). Furthermore, the percentage of immunocompetent patients with a positive outcome was significantly higher in the second treatment period compared to the first (treatment success rate 66.7 % in 2012-2014 vs 84.1 % in 2015-2017, p =0.014). This difference was attributed to the presence of a social nurse who joined the center in 2015.


CONCLUSIONS
TB treatment success rate in Greece is below the World Health Organization standards. Interventions such as appropriate multidisciplinary staffing of TB centers may prove valuable in improving TB care in Greece. HIPPOKRATIA 2019, 23(4): 154-159.
['Manika|K|K|', 'Kotoulas|S C|SC|', 'Papadaki|E|E|', 'Kyreltsi|P|P|', 'Sionidou|M|M|', 'Kontakiotis|T|T|', 'Kioumis|I|I|']
Tuberculosis outcome Greece treatment success rate