The characteristics and patterns of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in eastern India

• Published in: Tropical medicine and infectious disease Vol. 7; no. 9; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Giri, Vishal Prakash, Giri, Om Prakash, Pandey, Pooja Tripathi, Mishra, Kripa Nath, Prasad, Ram Shanker, Lal, Prabhat Kumar, Pratap, Rana, Nikhil, Nishant, Sufian, Abu, Ahmad, Reyaz, Kanodia, Shubhra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI 01.09.2022; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Cardiology; Coronaviruses; Diagnosis; Drug resistance; drug-resistant tuberculosis; Electrocardiography; extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis; Home care; Hospitals; Laboratories; Medical schools; multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis; national tuberculosis elimination program; Otolaryngology; Patients; Public health; R&D; Research & development; Treatment; treatment outcome; Tuberculosis; India
• ISSN: 2414-6366; 2414-6366
• DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7090244

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a major public health problem throughout the world and accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality rates in India, too. Early diagnosis is the corner stone of tuberculosis treatment. State-level and cluster-wise variations in drug resistance is a possibility and should be regularly checked in from time to time. Materials and Methods: The present prospective cohort study (January 2019 to May 2022) was conducted in Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital on drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Sputum specimens were collected from designated centers. Rapid molecular drug-resistance testing (genotypic tests) and growth-based drug-susceptibility testing (DST) (phenotypic tests) were performed in the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program certified Laboratory. Results: A total of 268 patients with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study group. The treatment outcomes revealed as cured in 100 (37.31%); treatment completed in 43 (16.04%); died in 56 (20.89%); treatment failed in 22 (8.21%); loss of follow up in 34 (12.69%); and transferred out in 13 (4.85%) drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Adverse events were recorded in 199 (74.25%) of the drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Conclusions: Drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients are a matter of concern and need to be addressed.