Multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis management: Evidences and controversies

Multi-drug and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) has been an area of growing concern among clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health workers worldwide. Lack of controlled trials in M/XDR-TB patients hinders the optimal management of such patients, and guidelines that have been developed based largely on expert opinion are controversial. Lack of new effective drugs, improper regimens prescribed by poorly trained doctors and unreliable drug susceptibility testing add to the magnitude of the problem. M/XDR-TB is mostly a man made problem and its emergence can be checked by prompt diagnosis and effective use of first-line drugs in every new patient. DOTS-Plus proposed by World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the comprehensive management strategy to control multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Laboratory services must be strengthened for adequate and timely diagnosis of M/extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and programmatic management of M/XDR-TB must be scaled up as per target set by global plan to stop TB 2011-2015. In MDR-TB patients with localized disease, surgery, as an adjunct to chemotherapy, can improve outcomes and should be considered when there is poor response to appropriate chemotherapy. Proper use of second-line drugs must be ensured to cure existing MDR-TB, to reduce its transmission and to prevent emergence of XDR-TB.