Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the problems of tuberculosis control in our country by investigating the therapy of a tuberculosis patient. After failure of a 7- month antituberculosis therapy which was instituted on March 1993, he was given a retreatment regimen with second-line drugs. Sputum smears and cultures for AFB remained positive during retreatment that cavity resection was performed on the twentieth month. Eight months after surgery, new therapy was considered on the basis of control thorax computed tomograpy findings. The patient left the hospital, afterwards he was a student for two and teacher for seven years. On March 2004, he was admitted to a university hospital and sputum smear was positive for AFB, but he was not notified. On September 2004, when his sister diagnosed tuberculosis, she mentioned about her brother. Sputum smear was four positive for AFB and he was hospitalized. Today there are difficulties in initiating a new and efficient treatment regimen. This patient represents the principle problems of tuberculosis control, at first directly observed therapy, then notification of tubeculosis patients, right therapy, follow-up, and control till the achivement of cure. Even the therapy of a single patient needs a complete and good working tuberculosis control program.