Smoking and 2-month culture conversion during anti-tuberculosis treatment.

ABSTRACT: To investigate risk factors for delayed sputum culture conversion to negative during anti-tuberculosis treatment, with an emphasis on smoking.Nested case-control study of adults with non-cavitary, culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) participating in an anti-tuberculosis treatment trial in Brazil. A case of delayed culture conversion was a patient who remained culture-positive after 2 months of treatment. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.Fifty-three cases and 240 control patients were analyzed. Smokers had three-fold greater odds of remaining culture-positive after 2 months of treatment (P = 0.007) than non-smokers, while smokers and ex-smokers who smoked >20 cigarettes a day had two-fold greater odds of remaining culture-positive after 2 months of treatment (P = 0.045).Cigarette smoking adversely affects culture conversion during anti-tuberculosis treatment. Support for smoking cessation should be considered to improve outcomes in TB control programs.

SUBMITTER: Maciel EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4497564 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature