Abstract:
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem worldwide and Bangladesh is one of
the high burden countries with high incidence and prevalence rates. Fixed dose
combinations (FDC) is recommended for any type of TB cases in order for the patient to
completely get cure from the disease. The role of Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) is
an important factor to ensure the proper dosage and time of treatment. In order to determine
the use of FDC tablets for TB treatment and the role of DOT for effective tuberculosis
control program, a descriptive study was carried out in Kanaighat Upazilla of Sylhet,
Bangladesh. After taking written consent, a total of 50 TB patients, registered in Kanaighat
health complex, were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. Detail information
regarding the patients` course of treatment were recorded from their treatment cards
preserved in the health complex. In-depth data analysis were done using the software SPSS,
version 19. In our study, most of the patients (34%) infected with tuberculosis were in
between 50-65 years. Majority of the cases were smear positive (54%), whereas 36% cases
were smear negative. All patients in our study were treated with Category 1 and DOT
followed. The results have shown that the sputum conversion rate was higher among those
who had taken the drugs following DOT (75%). About 86% of all the patients enrolled in
our study had followed their treatment regimen under DOT. About 90.5% of the patients
with smear positive cases were declared as cured after completion of their treatment course.
The use of FDC has benefited the patients when the dosage regimen of these tablets were
prescribed according to weight and consumed under supervision of a DOT provider. The
result of this study has shown that a very good outcome was obtained when patients get
treated with anti-TB drugs as FDC and the need for DOT to improve the outcome of the patient
Description:
This thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) in East West University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.