CHARACTERISTICS OF DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS IN GEORGIA (2015-2020).

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) poses a significant global health challenge.
• Understanding factors associated with successful DR-TB treatment is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Georgia has been addressing the burden of DR-TB through national programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the general characteristics of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Georgia.
• To identify factors associated with successful treatment outcomes among DR-TB patients in Georgia.
• To analyze the impact of various patient and treatment characteristics on DR-TB treatment success.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study design.
• Inclusion of 1581 adult DR-TB patients from 2015-2020 cohorts with known treatment outcomes.
• Utilized bivariate and multivariate analyses, including adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

• Successful TB treatment outcomes were significantly associated with female gender (aOR 1.78, 95% CI: 1.33-2.39), new TB cases (aOR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.88-2.91), and HIV-negative status (aOR 2.33, 95% CI: 1.53-3.55).
• No significant association was found between treatment outcomes and the use of new drugs in the regimen.
• The impact of newer DR-TB regimens, recommended from 2019, on treatment outcomes requires further investigation as complete data is still emerging.

Conclusions:

• Female gender, being a new TB case, and HIV-negative status are positive predictors of successful DR-TB treatment in Georgia.
• Current data does not support a significant association between the use of new DR-TB drugs and treatment outcomes, likely due to limited follow-up time.
• Longitudinal studies are necessary to fully evaluate the efficacy of novel DR-TB treatment regimens and their impact on patient outcomes.