Treatment Outcomes Associated with Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Developing nations, including India, face a substantial burden from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
• MDR-TB requires specialized and prolonged treatment regimens, posing challenges for healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of predefined treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of standardized MDR-TB treatment protocols in a tertiary care setting.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of patient records was conducted.
• Data from 819 patients treated between 2009 and 2013 at a directly observed treatment short course chemotherapy plus site were reviewed.

Main Results:

• The study identified the following outcomes: Cured (52%), default (24%), death (16%), treatment failure (1%), treatment completed (3%), switched to category V (3%), and transferred out (1%).
• A cure rate of 52% was observed among the studied MDR-TB patient cohort.

Conclusions:

• The observed cure rate for MDR-TB in this Indian cohort is modest, aligning with previous national studies.
• Continued and intensified efforts are crucial to combat the growing threat of MDR-TB in India and similar settings.