Short-term and long-term outcomes following DOTS-based treatment for tuberculosis patients in Burkina Faso

A cross-sectional study was initiated in Burkina Faso's National Tuberculosis Programme to confirm successful treatment results within 3 months of completing treatment and to characterise longer-term outcomes 12–24 months after completion. The sample (n = 278) included 91 patients who had completed treatment 0–3 months earlier (‘short-term’ sample) and 187 patients who had completed treatment 12–24 months earlier (‘long-term’ sample). All sputum specimens from the short-term sample were confirmed as negative. In the long-term sample, among 154 patients with available information, 13 (8%) had died, 24 were not traced, and 117 (76%) were interviewed and had sputum examinations, of which 2 (2%) were smear-positive. Recording of successful treatment outcomes shows good validity.