title: Clinical profile and treatment outcomes of drug-resistant tuberculosis before directly observed treatment strategy plus: Lessons for the program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) before introduction of directly observed treatment strategy (DOTS) plus are infrequently reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of drug-resistant TB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A TB unit in Mumbai.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of DR TB patients attending a TB unit and taking treatment at NGOs was performed. Of the 34 cases, 5 (14%) had mycobacterium other than tuberculosis, 24 were pulmonary TB, 4 extra-pulmonary TB, and one both. Three were HIV-infected, two had diabetes. Two cases were treatment naive. Of the 29 cases studied, 3 (11%) were mono-resistant, 20 (69%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB with E/Z/EZ resistance; 4 were pure MDR TB. One case had XDR TB, 13 (44.8%) had resistance to at least one conventional second-line drug. Seven cases had adverse drug reaction, four requiring drug substitution. Two patients are on treatment; 14 of the remaining 27 (51%) were successfully treated, 5 (18%) died, 2 (7%) failed treatment, 5 (18%) were lost to follow-up, one migrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DST profiles suggest high levels of drug resistance due to amplification which leads to poor outcomes. There is an urgent need for Indian Revised National TB Control Program to introduce daily DOTS for susceptible cases, DST for all new cases, and scaling up DST for second-line drugs. There is also a need to use individualized treatment for DR TB.
authors: The Maharashtra State Anti TB Association, Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Mumbai, India.
authors: Yatin N
authors: YN
authors: Dholakia
authors: Divya P
authors: DP
authors: Shah
keywords: Amplification of resistance; daily directly observed treatment strategy; individualized treatment; scaling up DST for second-line drugs