Table 2 Source of data collection and operational definition of variables collected for patients with presumptive/confirmed MDR-TB, Bhopal district, India (2014)

Date of eligibility for DST, presumptive MDR-TB patient criteria, age in completed years, sex, TB registration number, year of registration, DMC name, baseline smear status

Treatment register

Under ‘previously treated’ criterion, for smear positive patient, date of smear examination was the date of eligibility. For smear negative patient, date of treatment initiation was the date of eligibility. Under TB/HIV, those with HIV first and TB later, date of eligibility depended on whether the patient was smear positive or negative and we followed the above mentioned definition. For those with TB first and then HIV, date of HIV testing was considered. For patients with known MDR-TB contacts, date of TB registration was considered. Follow up smear positive at 5 months was considered as ‘previously treated’ and included as eligible patient if the date of eligibility under ‘previously treated’ criterion was in 2014.

Whether referred for DST, date of referral for DST

Referral for DST register (DTC) or copy of request for DST form (DMC)

If there was a record for referral maintained at DTC or DMC then it was considered as ‘identified/referred’. In case of discrepancy in dates, earlier date was considered.

Sputum received at NRL, date of sputum received at NRL, whether DST was performed, type of DST, date of DST, DST result, date of DST result, date of dispatch of DST result to DTC

DST register at NRL

Eligible patients with presumptive MDR-TB were tracked through their TB registration numbers; in cases where it was not entered, name and address of the patient was used. If NRL DST register showed ‘contaminated’ as the result and no further sample was received then it was recorded as ‘sample received; DST not done’.

Whether patient referred to DRTB center from DTC. date of referral to DRTB center

Referral for DST register (DTC)

-

Whether treatment initiated, DR-TB treatment. date of treatment initiation

Treatment register at DRTB center

-