Performance of Multidimensional Severity Scoring Systems in Patients with Post-Tuberculosis Bronchiectasis

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with post-tuberculosis (post-TB) bronchiectasis. We also evaluated the performance of various multidimensional severity score systems to predict mortality, future exacerbation, and hospitalization.

We conducted a prospective observational cohort study to evaluate the etiology of bronchiectasis in 301 patients. Patients fell into three groups: post-TB (129 [43%]), idiopathic (76 [25%]), and other (96 [32%]) etiologies of bronchiectasis. Four multidimensional grading scales, including the Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI), the FACED score, and two derivative versions of the FACED score, Exacerbation (Exa-FACED and E-FACED), were calculated and compared for each patient.

Patients with post-TB bronchiectasis were predominantly female (61%) with a mean age of 68±11 years. Moreover, 26% of post-TB bronchiectasis patients were colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At baseline, patients with post-TB bronchiectasis were older, had higher severity scores, and were more likely to have experienced severe exacerbations that required hospitalization compared to patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis or bronchiectasis arising from other causes. During follow-up, 52% of patients required hospitalization, 58% had frequent (≥2 per year) acute exacerbations, and the overall 5-year mortality rate was 30%. Five-year survival was efficiently predicted by each of the grading scales. Although the modified variations of the FACED outperformed the original FACED scale in predicting forthcoming frequent acute exacerbations and hospitalization, the BSI outperformed all three systems in this regard.

Patients with post-TB bronchiectasis had higher severity scores than patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis or bronchiectasis arising from other causes. In addition, all scoring systems performed adequately in 5-year mortality projections. BSI and the modified versions of the FACED outperformed the FACED in predicting forthcoming exacerbations and hospitalizations.