The continuation phase lasted four months with isoniazid and rifampin on a daily basis and the regime's maintenance phase continued for another three months.
‡Duration of intensive phase and continuation phase are separated by a comma.
Whatever the clinical form of TB, all patients should undergo two phases of treatment: intensive/initiation phase and continuation phase.
As a result, 132 patients had 3 months of intensive phase, while continuation phase was prolonged (>4 months; maximum 7 months) in 141 patients (Note: a patient whose intensive phase was prolonged may or may not have prolonged continuation phase).
Patients are still hospitalized during the intensive phase but continuation phase treatment is provided on an out-patient basis, usually at a general primary health care (PHC) facility.
Direct costs amounted to $152 (± 219; 47), $147 (± 213; 108), and $97 (± 111; 53) for the period up to start of DOTS treatment, intensive phase, and continuation phase, respectively.
Individual cost items were summed up to the categories of medical costs, non-medical costs, and lost income-for each of the three phases of treatment separately (before start of treatment, intensive phase, and continuation phase).
This reduced the probability for inclusion of tuberculosis patients that were in the continuation phase of treatment phase when daily visits to the DOTS centre are obligatory.
Thereafter, treatment continued with a simplified continuation phase, which generally lasted an additional 12 18 months.
SKB regarded these patients as participants in the continuation phase, although none of them took a continuation phase drug or had a continuation phase rating.
