Abstract
The aims of this research were to examine the situation and epidemiology of tuberculosis
in four district hospitals in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in fiscal years 2005-2007.
All tuberculosis patients registered between October 2004 and September 2007 were selected
for the study.
The research instruments consisted of OPD card, treatment card, tuberculosis record,
and sputum examination record. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics.
The results showed that prevalence rates were 74.3, 112.1, 81.1 per 100,000 population
respectively in 2005-2007. Incidence rates were 64.9, 100.7, 69.0 per 100,000 and mortality
rates were 8.1, 14.0,3.5 per 100,000 respectively during that period. The success rate
was 73.5 percent and cure rate was 53.5 percent. The percentages of HIV infection in
tuberculosis cases were 4.7, 5.8 and 11.0, increasing by year, with a high mortality rate of
44.2 percent.
A high success rate was found in the occupation of civil servants (100%), students
(100%) and prisoners (91.9%). Tuberculosis cases with diabetes mellitus were also found
to have a high success rate (100%). Directly observed therapy (DOT) by health personnel
produced a relative risk of 1.33 significance compared with no direct observation. However,
DOT, with observation by cousins, showed no significant difference compared with
that produced by no direct observation.
