Success Rate of Current Anti-TB Drugs and Their Age-Group and Gender-Related Outcomes Among MDR-TB Patients of Sindh

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Nazir Ahmed Bapar, Javed Ahmed Ujan, Fawad Shabir Memon, M. Suleman Otho, Shuaa Naureen, Rafique Ahmed Channa

Abstract

 The most common communicable disease accounting for a high burden of disorder in accommodating life and death among 15 to 49 years of age in Pakistan is tuberculosis. Despite the efforts of the National Tuberculosis Program in the country since 2010, the prevalence of TB and Drug resistant tuberculosis recorded on large scale in Pakistan. It is a sizeable portion regarding treatment success and death estimation the patient who is affected from Drug-resistant TB in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh. The objective of research was to measure the success rate of anti-TB drugs and their age-group and gender-related outcomes among MDR-TB patients in two district health units in the province of Sindh. It is a quantitative study that makes use of secondary data. From January to December 2015, data on 363 MDR-TB patients were gathered from two TB hospitals in Sindh, namely the art of state tertiary care Ojha Institute of chest illnesses Karachi (OICD) and the familiar Institute of chest diseases Jamshoro (ICD). Without any additional action, other than the data used to meet the criterion The data was evaluated for its transparency. The results of this study revealed an invariably significant difference p=0.001 in terms of treatment success and duration according to the age of patients observed with the highest cure rate as defined by the age group of 5-14 years, as death was highest in the age group of 55-64 years, followed by 35-44 years. Indeed, outcomes vary across males and females, as males have a higher proportion of MDR-TB patients than females. To explain, out of 363 cases of DR-TB treated at both units, ICD Kotri and OICD Karachi, 216 (59.5 percent) recovered; thus, 53 (14.6 percent) of 363 cases of DR-TB died. 53 (14.6 percent) of cases were listed as unresolved. 04 (01%) of these individuals completed treatment, whereas 22 (6.1%) of these cases were regarded as treatment failures. Additionally, 14 (3.85%) were not evaluated, and 01 (0.27%) had a prolonged history of treatment at the unit/facility. It appears that 220 (60.6 percent) of the 362 cases/patients getting treatment for DR/MDR-Tb at two health facilities in Sindh have been successfully treated. Eighty-nine (24.5%) cited defaulters as the reason for their failures, while 53 (14.6%) cited mortality due to DR/MDR tuberculosis. The current update of DR (drug resistant) tuberculosis in Pakistan's public sector hospitals, notably in Sindh, complies with World Health Organization requirements, affecting treatment success rate, defaulter rate, and death rate below WHO norms. To reduce the burden of tuberculosis and drug resistance, a thorough strengthening of the health system should be implemented, focusing on the quality of support and supervision, improving infection control measures, patient follow-up, and increasing health staffing in health facilities.

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