[Effectiveness of short course intermittent regimen on different categories of retreated patients with pulmonary...

To evaluate the efficacy of short course intermittent regimen in the different categories of retreated patients with tuberculosis.

303 retreated patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were recruited for the study. They were divided into three groups based on the history of tuberculosis and anti-tuberculosis treatment. 87 were in relapse group, 21 in failure group (failure after the initial treatment) and 195 in other retreatment group. Sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and drug susceptibility test were conducted before treatment. The same retreatment regimen (2-3H3R3Z3E3S3/5-6H3R3E3) was employed for all three groups of patients. Drug resistance and the outcomes of three groups of retreatment tuberculosis were analysed.

The drug resistance rates and efficacy of retreatment showed no statistical difference among three groups (P > 0.05). In other retreatment group, the drug resistant rate in patients who received anti-TB drugs for more than 12 months (79.5%) was significantly higher than those for less than 12 months (59.8%, 0.01 < P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the successful rates of treatment were 69.4% vs 90.4% between two subgroups, being significantly different (P < 0.001). The successful treatment rate in susceptible patients (93.3%) was significantly higher than that in drug resistant patients (75.3%, P < 0.01).

To enhance the efficacy of anti-TB therapy in drug-resistant patients is the key of improving the outcome of retreated patients receiving short course intermittent regimen.