Introduction: Tuberculosis is a highly feared disease, known for
centuries to affect, debilitate, impoverish large sections of the population
and continues to ravage the world and especially the developing world. TB is
curable and its effective treatment has shown a significant effect on the control
of the disease. Methodology: This was a retrospective hospital based study
carried out on records of 1025 TB cases, treated from 2009-2012 cohorts. A
structured proforma was used to collect information from the TB registers,
individual cards and folder records of the patients. Data were analyzed using a
software package, EPI INFO version 7.1.3. Frequencies tables and summary indices were generated and chi-square was used to
test association between variables where appropriate. P-value of ≤0.05 was
considered significant. Results: Most of the cases reviewed had pulmonary
tuberculosis. 96.7% and majority (86.3%) of them had sputum smear positive results
at diagnosis. Majority, 79.7% of the patients were new cases and the
treatment outcome showed a total success rate of 81.4%, (cured, 46.3% and
completed treatment, 35.1%), default, (9.8%), died (6.5%) and failed treatment
(1.5%). Factors found to significantly affect treatment outcome in this study
were; age, gender, educational status, religion, living with someone, treatment
regimen, HIV status of patients and type of patient at presentation/diagnostic
criteria, p < 0.05. Conclusion:
The success rate recorded in this study was below the set target by WHO, thus
there was a need to put in place appropriate measures to improve the outcome of
TB treatment in Imo State, Nigeria.