Bacteriologic monitoring of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in five DOTS-Plus pilot projects.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis programs in DOTS-Plus pilot sites in five countries.

Objectives: To calculate sputum conversion time and its relationship to treatment outcome, document the frequency of culture reversions and examine concordance of smear and culture to assess the potential consequences of monitoring by smear microscopy alone.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis of 1926 patients receiving individualized, second-line therapy.