scholarly journals Do catastrophic costs impact treatment outcomes in people with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in the Republic of Moldova?

2021 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeriu Plesca ◽  
Ana Ciobanu ◽  
Yuliia Sereda ◽  
Andrei Dadu

The Republic of Moldova is among the 30 Rifampicin-Resistant and/or Multidrug-Resistant (RR/MDR) Tuberculosis (TB) high burden countries in the world. Despite free TB diagnostics and treatment, TB patients face substantial economic losses and this may impact overall treatment outcomes. We assessed if there is an association between TB-related catastrophic costs and TB treatment outcomes. We conducted a cohort study using data from patient records and a survey that quantified catastrophic costs among RR/MDR-TB affected households in the Republic of Moldova in 2016. We included adult patients (age ≥18 years) with RR/MDR-TB who had been in inpatient (intensive phase) or outpatient (continuous phase) treatment for at least 2 months. Unfavourable treatment outcome, such as failure, death or lost to follow-up, was the primary outcome variable. The definition of catastrophic TB-related costs followed the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines: costs due to TB ≥20% of annual household income. Log-binomial regression was used to assess association between the outcome and catastrophic TB-related costs adjusting for other socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical covariates.  In total 287 RR/MDR-TB patients (78% males, mean age 42 years) were included. Of them, 30% experienced catastrophic TB-related costs. Overall, one in five patients (21%) had unfavourable treatment outcome, such as treatment failure (5%), death (8%) or lost to follow-up (8%). The experience of catastrophic TB-related costs was not associated with unfavourable treatment outcome [adjusted relative risk (aRR)=0.88, 95% CI: 0.50–1.50]. Major factors independently associated with unfavourable TB treatment outcomes were poverty (aRR=2.07; 95% CI: 1.06-4.07), urban residence (aRR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.12-3.52) and positive HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) status (aRR=2.61; 95% CI: 1.31-4.89). As a result, we failed to find an association between catastrophic costs and treatment outcomes of RR/MDR-TB patients in the Republic of Moldova. However, we found that patients from poor households and urban areas were twice more likely to achieve unfavourable TB treatment outcomes disregarding whether they experienced catastrophic costs or not. Also, TB/HIV patients and urban residents were identified as the most vulnerable groups with higher risk of unfavourable treatment outcome and TB-related costs.

2020 ◽  
pp. 2002544
Author(s):  
Dumitru Chesov ◽  
Jan Heyckendorf ◽  
Sofia Alexandru ◽  
Ana Donica ◽  
Elena Chesov ◽  
...  

Evaluation of novel anti-tuberculosis (TB) medicines for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB continues to be of high interest on the TB research agenda. We assessed treatment outcomes in patients with pulmonary MDR-TB who received bedaquiline containing treatment regimens in the Republic of Moldova, a high-burden country of MDR-TB.MethodWe systematically analysed the “SIMETB” national electronic TB database in the Republic of Moldova and performed a retrospective propensity score matched comparison of treatment outcomes in a cohort of patients with MDR-TB who started treatment during 2016–2018 with a bedaquiline-containing regimen (bedaquiline cohort) and a cohort of patients treated without bedaquiline (non-bedaquiline cohort).ResultsFollowing propensity score matching, 114 patients were assigned to each cohort of MDR-TB patients. Patients in the bedaquiline cohort had a higher 6 month sputum culture conversion rate than those in the non-bedaquiline cohort, (66.7% versus 40.3%, p<0.001). Patients under bedaquiline containing regimens had a higher cure rate assessed by both WHO and TBNET definitions (55.3% versus 24.6%, p=0.001 and 43.5% versus 19.6% p=0.004, correspondingly), as well, a lower mortality rate (8.8% versus 20.2%, p<0.001, by WHO and 10.9% versus 25.2%, p=0.01, by TBNET). In patients who previously failed on MDR-TB treatment, more than 40% of patients achieved cure with a bedaquiline-containing regimen.ConclusionsBedaquiline-based MDR-TB treatment regimens result in better disease resolution when compared to bedaquiline-sparing MDR-TB treatment regimens under programmatic conditions in a country with a high-burden of MDR-TB.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Assefa Tola ◽  
Kirubel Minsamo Mishore ◽  
Yohanes Ayele ◽  
Abraham Nigussie Mekuria ◽  
Nanati Legese

Abstract Background The bidirectional relationship between the twin epidemics of Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes major global health challenges in the twenty-first century. TB-HIV co-infected people are facing multifaceted problems like high lost to follow up rates, poor treatment adherence, high TB recurrence rate, and high mortality risk. Our objective was to assess the outcomes of TB treatment and associated factors among TB-HIV co-infected patients in Harar town, Eastern part of Ethiopia, 2018. Methods A retrospective study was conducted among systematically selected 349 TB/HIV co-infected patients who registered from 2012 to 2017 in two public hospitals in Harar town. The data were collected through document review by using a pre-tested structured data extraction checklist. The data were analyzed using SPSS Version 21. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were determined at 95% confidence intervals. Results Among the 349 TB/HIV co-infected patients included in the study, 30.1% were cured, 56.7% had completed their treatment, 7.7% died, 1.7% were lost to follow up, and 3.7% were treatment failure. Overall, 86.8% of the TB-HIV co-infected patients had successful TB treatment outcomes. The patients who were on re-treatment category (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.17–7.28), who had a history of opportunistic infection (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.62–8.33), and who did not take co-trimoxazole prophylaxis (AOR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.59–7.89) had 2.91, 3.68, and 3.54 times higher odds of having unsuccessful TB treatment outcome than their counterparties, respectively. The chance of unsuccessful TB treatment outcome was 4.46 (95% CI: 1.24–16.02), 5.94 (95% CI: 1.87–18.85), and 3.01 (95% CI: 1.15–7.91) times higher among TB/HIV patients in stage 2, 3 and 4 than those in stage 1, respectively. Conclusions The overall rate of the success of the TB treatment among TB-HIV co-infected patients in this study was higher compared with many previous studies. TB/HIV patients with a history of previous TB treatment, smear-positive pulmonary TB, late HIV stage, history of opportunistic infection and not being on co-trimoxazole prophylaxis therapy were at a high risk of getting poor treatment outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kayitale Mbonye ◽  
John-Paul Otuba ◽  
Sara Riese ◽  
Hilary Alima ◽  
Frank Mugabe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Multi-drug resistant – tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging public health concern in Uganda. Prior to 2013, MDR-TB treatment in Uganda was only provided at the national referral hospital and two private-not-for profit clinics. From 2013, it was scaled up to seven regional referral hospitals (RRH). The aim of this study was to measure interim (six months) treatment outcomes among the first cohort of patients started on MDR-TB treatment at the RRH in Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which a retrospective descriptive analysis of data on a cohort of 69 patients started on MDR-TB treatment at 7 RRH between 1st April 2013 and 30th June 2014 and had been on treatment for at least nine months was conducted. Results: Of the 69 patients, 21 (30.4%) were female, 39 (56.5%) HIV-negative, 30 (43.5%) resistant to both isoniazid and rifampicin and 57 (82.6%) category 1 or 2 drug susceptible TB treatment failures. Median age at start of treatment was 35 years (Interquartile range (IQR): 27-45), median time-to-treatment initiation was 27.5 (IQR:6-89) days and of the 30 HIV-positive patients, 27 (90.0%) were on anti-retroviral treatment with a median CD4 count of 206 cells/microliter of blood (IQR: 113-364.5). Within six months of treatment, 59 (86.0%) patients culture converted, of which 45 (65.2%) converted by the second month and the other 14 (20.3%) by the sixth month; one (1.5%) did not culture convert; three (4.4%) died; and six (8.8%) were lost-to-follow up. Fifty (76.8%) patients experienced at least one drug adverse event, while 40 (67.8%) gained weight. Mean weight gained was 4.7 (standard deviation:3.2) kilograms. Conclusions: Despite MDR-TB treatment initiation delays, most patients had favourable interim treatment outcomes with majority culture converting early and very few getting lost to follow-up. These encouraging interim outcomes indicate a successful scale-up of MDR-TB treatment to RRH.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbonye Kayitale Martin ◽  
Otuba John Paul ◽  
Riese Sara ◽  
Alima Hilary ◽  
Mugabe Frank ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Multi-drug resistant—tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging public health concern in Uganda. Prior to 2013, MDR-TB treatment in Uganda was only provided at the national referral hospital and two private-not-for profit clinics. From 2013, it was scaled up to seven regional referral hospitals (RRH). The aim of this study was to measure interim (6 months) treatment outcomes among the first cohort of patients started on MDR-TB treatment at the RRH in Uganda. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which a descriptive analysis of data collected retrospectively on a cohort of 69 patients started on MDR-TB treatment at six of the seven RRH between 1st April 2013 and 30th June 2014 and had been on treatment for at least 9 months was conducted. Results Of the 69 patients, 21 (30.4%) were female, 39 (56.5%) HIV-negative, 30 (43.5%) resistant to both isoniazid and rifampicin and 57 (82.6%) category 1 or 2 drug susceptible TB treatment failures. Median age at start of treatment was 35 years (Interquartile range (IQR): 27–45), median time-to-treatment initiation was 27.5 (IQR: 6–89) days and of the 30 HIV-positive patients, 27 (90.0%) were on anti-retroviral treatment with a median CD4 count of 206 cells/microliter of blood (IQR: 113–364.5). Within 6 months of treatment, 59 (85.5%) patients culture converted, of which 45 (65.2%) converted by the second month and the other 14 (20.3%) by the sixth month; one (1.5%) did not culture convert; three (4.4%) died; and six (8.8%) were lost-to-follow up. Fifty (76.8%) patients experienced at least one drug adverse event, while 40 (67.8%) gained weight. Mean weight gained was 4.7 (standard deviation: 3.2) kilograms. Conclusions Despite MDR-TB treatment initiation delays, most patients had favourable interim treatment outcomes with majority culture converting early and very few getting lost to follow-up. These encouraging interim outcomes indicate the potential for success of a scale-up of MDR-TB treatment to RRH.


Author(s):  
Melese Yeshambaw Teferi ◽  
Lukas Dingato Didana ◽  
Tsegaye Hailu ◽  
Simon Genet Woldesenbet ◽  
Senedu Bekele ◽  
...  

Background: Tuberculosis is a major public health problem throughout the world particularly in resource limited countries. Measuring and reporting of TB treatment outcomes and identifying associated factors are fundamental part of TB treatment. The aim of this study was to assess TB treatment outcome and associated factors among TB patients in Wolayta Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.Design and Methods: Facility based retrospective cohort study was conducted in Wolayta Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital. All TB patients who registered during September 2014 to August 2019 and had known treatment outcome were included in the study. The data were collected using pretested structured data extraction format that included demographic, clinical and treatment outcome variables. SPSS Version 23 for windows was used for data processing. Bivariate and multivariate analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to infer associations between the independent and dependent variables.Results: Of total 232 TB patient included in the study, 54.3% were male,80.2% were urban residents, 65.9% were pulmonary TB (PTB). From the total 153 PTB cases,31.5% were smear positive, 17.2% were HIV co-infected and all of them were on antiretroviral treatment. Most, 97.0% of the TB cases were newly diagnosed and all were treated as first line treatment category. The overall treatment success rate was 82.5% (28% cured 54.3% completed), 11.2% loss to follow-up, 4.7% dead and 0.9% treatment failure. The treatment success rate of HIV co-infected TB patients was 77.5%. There was no significant association between TB treatment outcome and age, sex, residence, type of TB, category of patients and HIV status.Conclusions: The treatment success rate was low (82.5%) which is below the90% threshold defined standard with high proportion of patient’s lost to follow-up (11.2%). A higher number of transfer-out cases were recorded in this study. Thus, supervision and monitoring of DOTs implementation, improved counseling service, mechanisms for lost to follow-up patients should be strengthen. Establish efficient referral and contact tracing mechanisms for transferred-out cases and document their treatment outcomes of status is also fundamental.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 485-491
Author(s):  
D. Butov ◽  
C. Lange ◽  
J. Heyckendorf ◽  
I. Kalmykova ◽  
T. Butova ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To document the level of drug resistance in MDR-TB patients and to characterize management capacities for their medical care and MDR-TB treatment outcomes in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. This area has one of the highest frequencies of MDR-TB worldwide.METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed on registry data from the regional anti-TB dispensary in Kharkiv. All microbiologically confirmed MDR-TB patients registered in 2014 were included. Diagnostic, treatment and post-treatment follow-up data were analysed.RESULTS: Of 169 patients with MDR-TB, 55.0% had pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR) or XDR resistant patterns. Rapid molecular diagnosis by GeneXpert and liquid M. tuberculosis cultures were only available for 66.9% and 56.8% of patients, respectively. Phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing (DST) for high priority TB drugs (bedaquiline, linezolid, clofazimine) were not available. DST for later generation fluroquinolones was available only in 53.2% of patients. 50.9% of patients had less than 4 drugs in the treatment regimen proven to be effective by DST. More than 23.1% of patients with MDR-TB failed their treatment and only 45.0% achieved a cure.CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of MDR-TB and poor MDR-TB treatment outcomes in the Kharkiv region, is associated with substantial shortages in rapid molecular and phenotypic DST, a lack of high priority MDR-TB drugs, poor treatment monitoring and follow-up capacities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (09.1) ◽  
pp. 17S-24S
Author(s):  
Svetlana Doltu ◽  
Ana Ciobanu ◽  
Yuliia Sereda ◽  
Ruth Persian ◽  
Luke Ravenscroft ◽  
...  

Introduction: The Republic of Moldova is among the 18 high priority countries for tuberculosis (TB) in Europe. This study compared adherence and short and long-term TB treatment outcomes for TB patients who experienced asynchronous Video Observed Treatment (aVOT) during three months of outpatient treatment versus Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) in operational conditions in 2016-2017 in Chisinau. Methodology: We used secondary data from the 2016-2017 Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) that piloted the aVOT Strategy in Chisinau and data from the national TB register. Relative risk was selected as a measure of association in analysis of treatment strategies (aVOT and DOT under operational conditions) and short and long-term treatment outcomes. Results: From 647 TB patients included in the study, 169 followed the treatment strategy in the RCT (83 in aVOT and 86 in DOT) and 478 were on DOT in operational conditions. Those in aVOT were more likely to have favourable short-term outcome than patients with DOT in operational conditions (RR 0.07; p < 0.001). TB recurrence as an indicator for the long-term outcome, was observed in group with DOT in operational conditions (40 cases, p = 0.006). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the aVOT treatment strategy was associated with better adherence and both short and long-term TB treatment favourable outcomes. aVOT as a new patient-centred approach supporting TB patients on improving treatment adherence and outcomes might be recommended as an alternative to DOT strategy in the Republic of Moldova.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-107
Author(s):  
A. Oyefabi ◽  
B. Adelekan ◽  
E. Adetiba ◽  
L. Emmanuel ◽  
O. Jimoh

Background: The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a threat to successful TB treatment outcomes in developing nations like Nigeria. This study determined the predictors of intensive phase treatment outcomes in MDR-TB patients in Zaria, Nigeria.Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional review of the records of 124 MDR-TB patients registered between September 2012 and August 2017 at the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre, Saye, Zaria. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25.0 and the StataCorp STATA/SE 14.Results: The median age (IQR) of the respondents was 32 (15) years. The gene Xpert test detected Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistance (RIF) in 119 (96.0%) cases. The treatment success rate was 97 (78.2%). MDR-TB and HIV co-infection rate was 17 (13.7%) while the case fatality rate was 16.1%. Bivariate analysis showed that being male (p=0.001), not currently in marital union (p=0.01) and positive smear results at 1 month (p=0.027)) were significantly associated with treatment success. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the odds for successful treatment outcome was 4 times higher for the MDR-TB patients who were employed than the unemployed (AOR= 3.98, 95% CI= 1.15-13.74). No significant relationship between MDR-TB-HIV comorbidity (AOR=1.89, 95% CI=0.44-8.19), MDR-TB susceptible to Isoniazid (AOR= 0.49, 95% CI =0.15-1.56) and successful treatment outcome.Conclusion: Unemployment was a predictor of poor treatment outcome in this study. Cause-specific mortality due to the MDR TB was high in this setting. We advocate for optimization of access to treatment and social support system, especially for the female patients. Keywords: Gene Xpert; Intensive phase; MDR-TB; Treatment outcomes; Nigeria.


Author(s):  
Nataliia Lytvynenko ◽  
Hanna Varytska ◽  
Maryna Pogrebna ◽  
Yulia Senko ◽  
Oksana Chobotar

Biomédica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 616-625
Author(s):  
Ángela Tobón ◽  
Johana Rueda ◽  
Diego H. Cáceres ◽  
Gloria I. Mejía ◽  
Elsa M. Zapata ◽  
...  

Introduction: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment is effective in 50% of patients due to several factors including antibiotic susceptibility of the microorganism, adverse treatment reactions, social factors, and associated comorbidities.Objectives: In this study, we describe the demographics, clinical characteristics, and factors associated with treatment outcomes in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients in Medellín, Colombia.Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from patients diagnosed with MDR-TB attending Hospital La María in Medellín, Colombia, for treatment between 2010 and 2015. Patients were categorized as having successful (cured) or poor (failure, lost to follow-up, and death) treatment outcomes. Associations between demographic, clinical factors, laboratory results, treatment outcomes, and follow-up information were evaluated by univariate, multivariate, and multiple correspondence analyses.Results: Of the 128 patients with MDR-TB, 77 (60%) had successful outcomes. Of those with poor outcomes, 26 were lost to follow-up, 15 died, and 10 were treatment failures. Irregular treatment, the presence of comorbidities, and positive cultures after more than two months of treatment were associated with poor outcomes compared to successful ones (p<0.05 for all). The multiple correspondence analyses grouped patients who were lost to follow-up, had HIV, and drug addiction, as well as patients with treatment failure, irregular treatment, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Conclusion: The recognition of factors affecting treatment is essential and was associated with treatment outcomes in this series of patients. Early identification of these factors should increase the rates of treatment success and contribute to MDR-TB control.


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