Treatment outcomes associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Background: Developing countries like India are heavily burdened with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at the directly observed treatment short course chemotherapy plus site in our tertiary care center (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi) where records of all patients enrolled between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed. The aim of this study was to calculate the frequency of predefined outcomes in these patients receiving standardized treatment for MDR-TB. Results: Out of a total of 819 patients, the frequency of outcomes in these patients was as follows: Cured (n = 415, 52%), default (n = 199, 24%), death (n = 130, 16%), switched to category V (n = 27, 3%), transferred out (n = 12, 1%), treatment failure (n = 13, 1%), and treatment completed (n = 23, 3%). Conclusion: The modest cure rate in concordance with other Indian studies highlights the need for continuing efforts to fight the menace of MDR-TB.