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Has introduction of rapid drug susceptibility testing at diagnosis impacted treatment outcomes among previously treated tuberculosis patients in Gujarat, India?

ABSTRACT: Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) in India recommends that all previously-treated TB (PT) patients are offered drug susceptibility testing (DST) at diagnosis, using rapid diagnostics and screened out for rifampicin resistance before being treated with standardized, eight-month, retreatment regimen. This is intended to improve the early diagnosis of rifampicin resistance and its appropriate management and improve the treatment outcomes among the rest of the patients. In this state-wide study from Gujarat, India, we assess proportion of PT patients underwent rapid DST at diagnosis and the impact of this intervention on their treatment outcomes.This is a retrospective cohort study involving review of electronic patient-records maintained routinely under RNTCP. All PT patients registered for treatment in Gujarat during January-June 2013 were included. Information on DST and treatment outcomes were extracted from 'presumptive DR-TB patient register' and TB treatment register respectively. We performed a multivariate analysis to assess if getting tested is independently associated with unfavourable outcomes (death, loss-to-follow-up, failure, transfer out).Of 5,829 PT patients, 5306(91%) were tested for drug susceptibility with rapid diagnostics. Overall, 71% (4,113) TB patients were successfully treated - 72% among tested versus 60% among non-tested. Patients who did not get tested at diagnosis had a 34% higher risk of unsuccessful outcomes as compared to those who got tested (aRR - 1.34; 95% CI 1.20-1.50) after adjusting for age, sex, HIV status and type of TB. Unfavourable outcomes (particularly failure and switched to category IV) were higher among INH-resistant patients (39%) as compared to INH-sensitive (29%).Offering DST at diagnosis improved the treatment outcomes among PT patients. However, even among tested, treatment outcomes remained suboptimal and were related to INH resistance and high loss-to-follow-up. These need to be addressed urgently for further progress.

SUBMITTER: Dave P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4395327 | biostudies-other | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BackgroundPersistent respiratory symptoms and radiographic abnormalities are common among individuals previously treated for tuberculosis (TB) and may contribute to misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment when they seek care. We sought to determine if clinical and radiographic characteristics differed among previously treated, presumptive TB patients according to their current TB disease status.MethodsAdults (>18 years of age) seeking care at a public health facility in Lusaka, Zambia were systematically evaluated for active TB using symptom screening and chest X-ray. All patients with presumptive TB submitted a sputum sample for microbiological TB testing. Patients who reported a prior history of TB treatment were included in the present analysis. 'Confirmed TB' was defined by the detection of TB using Xpert Ultra and/or liquid culture, while 'possible TB' was defined by the receipt of TB treatment without a positive Xpert Ultra or culture result. We evaluated the positive predictive value (PPV) of clinical symptoms and radiographic features for active TB alone and in combination.ResultsOf 740 presumptive TB patients, 144 (19%) had been previously treated for active TB. Of these, 19 (13%) patients had confirmed TB, 14 (10%) had possible TB, and 111 (77%) had no pulmonary TB. Overall, 119 (83%) patients had ≥1 current respiratory symptom-this did not differ according to current TB disease classification (95%, 93%, 79%; p = 0.23). Sixty-one patients (56%) had radiographic abnormalities suggestive of active TB and such findings were more common among patients with confirmed or possible TB compared to those without TB (93%, 71%, vs. 47%; p = 0.002). Most patients (n = 91, 83%) had at least one radiographic abnormality-no difference by current TB classification was observed (93%, 100%, 79%; p = 0.08). The PPV of any current respiratory symptom, active TB radiographic finding, or any radiographic abnormality for TB was 13% (95%CI: 7-21%), 21% (95%CI: 12-34) and 14% (95%CI: 9-23), respectively; combining clinical and radiographic characteristics did not significantly improve the PPV for active TB.ConclusionsAmong presumptive TB patients previously treated for TB, respiratory symptoms and radiographic abnormalities were common and poorly differentiated those with current active TB from those without current active TB. Reliance on clinical and radiographic characteristics alone in this patient population may result in substantial overtreatment and therefore, microbiological investigations should be used to inform TB treatment decisions whenever possible.

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Has introduction of rapid drug susceptibility testing at diagnosis impacted treatment outcomes among previously treated tuberculosis patients in Gujarat, India?

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