Treatment delay and fatal outcomes of pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age: a retrospective nationwide cohort study

Abstract Background and objective Studies focusing on pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age (≥80 years) are lacking. This study aimed to explore treatment delay, outcomes and their predictors in this group. Methods Adult (≥20 years) patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2004 to 2009. Treatment completion and mortality rates were noted at one year after treatment. Results Among the 81,081 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis identified, 13,923 (17.2%) were aged ≥80 years, and 26,897 (33.2%) were aged 65–79 years. The treatment completion, mortality rates and treatment delay were 54.8%, 34.7% and 61 (12–128) [median, (1st-3rd quartiles)] days in patients aged ≥80 years, 68.3%, 18.5% and 53 (8–122) days in patients aged 65–79 years, and 78.9%, 6.5% and 21 (1–84) days in patients aged