Post-TB sequelae in adolescent pulmonary TB survivors

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Infectious Diseases
• Adolescent Medicine

Background:

• Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) can lead to persistent clinical symptoms and lung sequelae in adolescent survivors.
• Distinguishing outcomes between drug-susceptible (DS) and drug-resistant (DR) PTB is essential for targeted follow-up.
• Long-term pulmonary sequelae in adolescents surviving PTB require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare persistent clinical symptoms, chest X-ray (CXR), spirometry, and echocardiography findings in adolescent survivors of DS-PTB versus DR-PTB.
• To identify risk factors associated with pulmonary sequelae in adolescent PTB survivors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 52 adolescent PTB survivors.
• Comparison of persistent clinical symptoms, CXR, spirometry, and echocardiography between DS-TB and DR-TB groups.
• Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests, logistic regression, and Many-Facets Rasch analysis for CXR inter-rater agreement.

Main Results:

• DS-TB survivors had more persistent clinical symptoms, while DR-TB survivors showed higher rates of CXR and spirometry abnormalities.
• Echocardiography indicated a low probability of pulmonary hypertension in both groups.
• Comorbidities increased the risk of pulmonary sequelae by 1.5 times in adolescent PTB survivors.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary sequelae are present in adolescent survivors of both DS- and DR-PTB.
• Ongoing monitoring after PTB treatment completion is vital for all adolescent survivors, particularly those with comorbidities.