Childhood tuberculosis in Bhutan: profile and treatment outcomes.

Setting: All hospitals and health centres under the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP) in Bhutan.

Objective: To describe the number and proportion of childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases registered under the NTCP in 2010, their demographic and clinical characteristics and any associations with treatment outcomes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study involving a review of TB treatment cards and registers.

Results: Of 1332 TB cases registered, 187 (14%) were children aged <15 years, 75 (40%) were aged <5 years, and 180 (96%) were new cases; nearly half were extra-pulmonary TB, with lymphadenitis being the most common form. The overall treatment success rate was 93%, and none of the demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with treatment outcomes. A few recording deficiencies were identified.

Conclusion: TB in children is well recognised in Bhutan, and their treatment outcomes were excellent.