Table 1 Definitions of terms for type of TB, Patient category, and Treatment outcome as per NLCP ^a guidelines adopted from the WHO [13]

Childhood TB

A person aged 0 – 14 years old who was diagnosed with TB and treated for TB disease

Smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (SPPTB)

Patient with at least two sputum specimens with sputum positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by microscopy, or a patient with only one sputum specimen with smear positive for AFB by microscopy and chest radiographic abnormalities consistent with active pulmonary TB.

Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPTB)

Patient with symptoms suggestive of TB with at least two sputum specimens which were negative for AFB by microscopy, and with chest radiographic abnormalities consistent with active PTB (including interstitial or miliary abnormal images), or a patient with two sets of at least two sputum specimens taken at least two weeks apart, and which were negative for AFB by microscopy, and radiographic abnormalities consistent with pulmonary TB and lack of clinical response to one week of broad spectrum antibiotic therapy.

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB)

TB of organs other than the lungs, such as lymph nodes, abdomen, genitourinary tract, skin, joints, bones, meninges, etc.

Patient category:

New case

Patient who has never had treatment for TB before or has been on anti-TB treatment for less than four weeks.

Relapse

Patient who has been declared cure or treatment completed of any form of TB in the past but who reports back to the health service and is found to be acid fast bacilli smear positive or culture positive.

Treatment failure

Patient who, while on treatment remained smear- positive or become again smear-positive at the end of the five month or later after commencing treatment.

Transfer in

Patient who started treatment in one health facility and transferred to the hospital to continue treatment and follow up.

Retreatment case

Patient who has been treated in the past and include: failure, returned after default, relapse cases, and others, i.e. patients who were previously treated for TB and declared cured before becoming once again a definite case of pulmonary TB.

Treatment outcome

Cured

Finished treatment with negative bacteriology result at the end of treatment

Completed treatment

Finished treatment, but without bacteriology result at the end of treatment

Failure

Remaining smear positive at five months despite correct intake of medication

Default to treatment

Patients who interrupted their treatment for two consecutive months or more after registration

Died

Patients who died from TB during the course of treatment

Transferred out

Patients whose treatment results are unknown due to transfer to another health facility

Loss to follow up

Patient who did not start treatment or whose treatment was interrupted for two consecutive months or more

Successfully treated

A patient who completed treatment and cured

Unsatisfactory treatment outcome

Patient who died from TB during the course of treatment, interrupted treatment for two consecutive months or more after registration, patient remaining smear positive at five months despite correct intake of medication and patient whose treatment results are unknown due to transfer to another health facility

Unknown

No treatment details available (e.g., lost patient notes)