Getahun H, Maher D
South Gonder Health Department, Debre Tabor, South Gonder, Ethiopia.
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2000 Feb;4(2):174-8.
A rural district (Estie) in South Gonder, Ethiopia.
To describe the contribution of 'TB clubs' (small support groups of patients based on where they live) to the performance of the tuberculosis control programme in Estie District.
A descriptive study of the formation of 'TB clubs', their contribution to case-finding and the treatment outcomes before and after formation of the 'TB clubs'.
The proportion of actual among expected attendances of tuberculosis patients for follow-up during treatment at health facilities significantly increased (P < 0.001) after the introduction of the TB clubs. Community elders, community health agents and local health workers helped TB clubs to refer tuberculosis suspects, promote treatment adherence and trace defaulters as an integral part of a district tuberculosis programme. The TB clubs referred 181 tuberculosis suspects in the community for investigation, of whom 65% subsequently had a diagnosis of tuberculosis. TB clubs identified 69% of all patients and 76% of new sputum smear-positive pulmonary patients diagnosed in the district. Treatment success rates in new sputum smear-positive, smear-negative and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were 83%, 79% and 81%, respectively.
The formation of TB clubs contributed to the effective implementation of a district tuberculosis programme. Further evaluation is needed to assess the sustainability and applicability of the approach in other settings.
埃塞俄比亚南贡德尔的一个农村地区（埃斯蒂）。
描述“结核病俱乐部”（根据患者居住地点设立的小型患者支持小组）对埃斯蒂区结核病控制项目实施情况的贡献。
对“结核病俱乐部”的形成、其对病例发现的贡献以及“结核病俱乐部”形成前后的治疗结果进行描述性研究。
引入结核病俱乐部后，卫生设施在治疗期间对结核病患者进行随访的实际应诊人数占预期应诊人数的比例显著增加（P < 0.001）。社区长者、社区卫生工作者和当地卫生工作者协助结核病俱乐部转诊结核病疑似患者、促进治疗依从性并追踪失访患者，这是地区结核病项目的一个组成部分。结核病俱乐部在社区转诊了181名结核病疑似患者进行调查，其中65%随后被诊断为结核病。结核病俱乐部识别出了该地区所有患者的69%以及所有新诊断的痰涂片阳性肺结核患者的76%。新诊断的痰涂片阳性、涂片阴性和肺外结核病患者的治疗成功率分别为83%、79%和81%。
结核病俱乐部的形成有助于地区结核病项目的有效实施。需要进一步评估该方法在其他环境中的可持续性和适用性。
