Tuberculosis treatment outcome in a tertiary care setting

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Chemotherapy outcomes for various tuberculosis (TB) forms are poorly documented, especially in developing nations.
• This study evaluated TB treatment results in Saudi Arabia, focusing on cure-to-treatment ratios and mortality.
• Assessing outcomes across pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and disseminated TB is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess tuberculosis treatment outcomes in a tertiary care setting.
• To determine the cure-to-treatment ratio for different TB classifications.
• To analyze mortality rates associated with pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and disseminated tuberculosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 535 active Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases from 1991-2000.
• Data collection included TB type, treatment outcome, relapse, and comorbidities.
• Evaluation of cure rates, cure-to-treatment ratios, and mortality across TB categories.

Main Results:

• Pulmonary TB in 26.4%, extrapulmonary in 63.3%, and disseminated in 10.3% of cases.
• Overall cure rate was 82%; cure-to-treatment ratios varied: 86% (extrapulmonary), 78% (pulmonary), 65% (disseminated).
• Mortality was 18% overall, highest in disseminated TB (34.9%); 47% of deaths were TB-related.

Conclusions:

• Complicated tuberculosis, even with tertiary care, has a high mortality rate.
• Early diagnosis and appropriate, complete chemotherapy are critical for improving tuberculosis patient outcomes.
• The findings highlight the need for enhanced TB management strategies, particularly for severe forms.