title: Susceptibility pattern and epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Saudi Arabian hospital: a 15-year study from 1989 to 2003.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and trends of drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis at the Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified M tuberculosis isolates from January 1989 to December 2003. Antimicrobial susceptibility and clinical data were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1989 to 2003, 276 nonrepetitive culture-positive cases were identified. There were 236 Saudis (84.6%), and the remainder were non-Saudis (15.4%). M tuberculosis isolates were obtained from pulmonary specimens (49%) and extrapulmonary sites (51%). The resistance rates of M tuberculosis to tested first-line agents were as follows: isoniazid, 12.5%; ethambutol, 7.5%; streptomycin; 6.9%; and rifampin, 1.1%. The resistance rate to isoniazid and streptomycin was 1.8%, the rate to isoniazid and rifampin was 0.7%, and the rate to isoniazid and ethambutol was 2.5%. The resistance rate to isoniazid, ethambutol, and streptomycin was 0.7%
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  M tuberculosis resistance to isoniazid showed a decreased rate over the study period from 20 to 5.7%. The rate of multidrug-resistant M tuberculosis remained low.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Services Division, Dhahran Health Center, Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization, Saudi Arabia. jaffar.tawfiq@aramco.com
authors.forename: Jaffar A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Al-Tawfiq
authors.forename: Amal A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Muraikhy
authors.forename: Mahmoud S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004977:Ethambutol; D007538:Isoniazid; D013307:Streptomycin