Treatment outcome and influencing factors of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Qinghai province from 2015 to 2019

  Objective  To analyze the treatment outcome and influencing factors of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB) patients in Qinghai province, to provide scientific basis for elderly PTB prevention and treatment in Qinghai province.

  Methods  The elderly PTB patients status treatment outcome was retrospectively studied in Qinghai province from 2015 to 2019, which was downloaded from the National Tuberculosis Management Information System. The influencing factors were analyzed by univariate χ² test and unconditional multivariate logistic regression.

  Results  8 156 elderly PTB patients were reported in Qinghai province from 2015 to 2019, and 7 319 patients were successfully treated, the successful treatment rate showed an increasing trend (trend χ²=9.141, P<0.05). Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Tibetan (OR=1.456, 95%CI: 1.163–1.823), other minorities (OR=1.600, 95%CI: 1.299–1.971), other health examinations (OR=6.082, 95%CI: 1.449–25.523), non-severe patients (OR=1.830, 95%CI: 1.282–2.613), whole-course management (OR=2.523, 95%CI: 1.568–4.060), and newly treated patients (OR=2.111, 95%CI: 1.504–2.964) showed higher success successful treatment rates. Male (OR=0.711, 95%CI: 0.609–0.830), 70–80 years old age group (OR=0.620, 95%CI: 0.530–0.725), >80 year old group (OR=0.450, 95%CI: 0.325–0.622), syndrome recommendation (OR=0.481, 95%CI: 0.315–0.734), referral (OR=0.736, 95%CI: 0.610–0.888), non-systematic management (OR=0.065, 95%CI: 0.047–0.090), positive etiology (OR=0.567, 95%CI: 0.478–0.671), county level as the first diagnostic unit (OR=0.546, 95%CI: 0.342–0.873) patients showed lower successful treatment rates, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05).

  Conclusion  The elderly PTB successful treatment rate in Qinghai province was lower than whole population’s, but showed an increasing trend. More Attention should be paid to elderly, older age groups, Han nationality, patients with syndrome recommendation, referral, severe patients, self-medication, non-systematic management, re-treatment, positive etiology, and county level as the first diagnostic unit.