Table 2 Variable definitions

TB type

Pulmonary TB refers to any confirmed or clinically diagnosed case of TB involving the lung parenchyma or the tracheobronchial tree. A patient with both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB is classified as a case of Pulmonary TB.

Extra-pulmonary TB refers to any confirmed or clinically diagnosed case of TB involving organs other than the lungs

TB Outcome

Cured refers to a pulmonary TB patient with confirmed TB at the beginning of the treatment who was smear- or culture-negative in the last month of treatment and on at least one previous occasion.

Completed refers to a TB patient who completed treatment without evidence of failure but with no record to show that sputum smear or culture results in the last month of treatment and on at least one previous occasion were negative, either because tests were not done or because results were unavailable.

Failed refers to a TB patient whose sputum smear or culture is positive at month 5 or later during treatment.

Stopped refers to cases where the health care team stops treatment of a TB patient.

Transferred out refers to cases that are transferred to another treatment unit.

Defaulted refers to a TB patient whose treatment was interrupted for two consecutive months or more.

Died refers to a patient who dies for any reason during the course of treatment.

Missing refers to a TB patient for whom no treatment outcome is assigned because information is missing and the treatment outcome is unknown to the reporting unit.

HIV status

Positive refers to a patient who has tested positive for HIV.

Negative refers to a patient who has tested negative for HIV.

Inconclusive refers to patient whose HIV testing results are inconclusive.

Refused refers to a patient who refused to be tested for HIV.

Not done refers to a patient who was not given a HIV-test.

Unknown refers to a patient whose HIV status has not been recorded or recorded as unknown without further description.