Time to Sputum Conversion Among Patients With Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Kenya: Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

The increase in cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly noted during the 1990s, represents a significant public health challenge and poses a threat to global tuberculosis control efforts. The clinical relevance of drug-resistant tuberculosis lies in the resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin, which are among the most effective anti-tuberculosis drugs currently available. On an international scale, approximately 4.1% of new tuberculosis cases and 19% of previously treated patients were reported to have multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) in 2016. Additionally, around 8,000 cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) were documented worldwide, with an estimated 6.2% of individuals with MDR-TB also having XDR-TB, according to the(World Health Organization, 2011). This study aims to examine the patterns of sputum conversion among patients diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Kenya. Furthermore, it evaluates the existing frameworks for monitoring drug-resistant tuberculosis and identifies deficiencies in the laboratory systems used to diagnose and treat this condition. The study objective: To assess sputum conversion in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis and the related treatment outcomes in Kenya. Study design and site: A retrospective cohort study design was applied to review sputum conversion time patterns for drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Kenya. Study population and sample: Drug-resistant patients enrolled for follow-up at Kenya's National Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Lung Disease program...