Resource utilization for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis household contact investigations (A5300/I2003)

Current guidelines recommend evaluation of the household contacts (HHCs) of individuals with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB); however, implementation of this policy is challenging.

To describe the resource utilization and operational challenges encountered when identifying and characterizing adult MDR-TB index cases and their HHCs.

Cross-sectional study of adult MDR-TB index cases and HHCs at 16 clinical research sites in eight countries. Site-level resource utilization was assessed with surveys.

Between October 2015 and April 2016, 308 index cases and 1018 HHCs were enrolled. Of 280 index cases with sputum collected, 94 were smear-positive (34%, 95%CI 28-39), and of 201 with chest X-rays, 87 had cavitary disease (43%, 95%CI 37-50) after a mean duration of treatment of 8 weeks. Staff required 512 attempts to evaluate the 308 households, with a median time per attempt of 4 h; 77% (95%CI 73-80) of HHCs were at increased risk for TB: 13% were aged <5 years, 8% were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, and 79% were positive on the tuberculin skin test/interferon-gamma release assay. One hundred and twenty-one previously undiagnosed TB cases were identified. Issues identified by site staff included the complexity of personnel and participant transportation, infection control, personnel safety and management of stigma.

HHC investigations can be high yield, but are labor-intensive.