A cross-sectional study to correlate demographic and clinical profile of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients in a tertiary hospital

Abstract

One of the major hurdles in eradication of Tuberculosis is the development of Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis, which needs timely identification and treatment to avoid its spread in the community. The present study is an attempt to correlate demographic and clinical profile of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis cases coming to the facility A Hospital-based Cross-sectional Observational Study in Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B.K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Center and Dhiraj Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat. Among subjects diagnosed as Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis over a period of one and a half years from May 2016 to November 2017. A detailed clinical profile physical examination and laboratory investigations were done and correlated with demographic profile. Data was analyzed in Open source software OpenEpi. P value was considered to be significant at P<0.05. Arithmetic Mean was used wherever deemed necessary. Majority of patients were aged between 40 to 50 years with Male to female ratio was 1.5:1. Most patients were farmers, home makers (unemployed), and labourers and had a low education with lower socioeconomic status. The symptom profile indicated weight loss, loss of appetite, cough with expectoration, dyspnoea and fever. 70% of the patients had haemoglobin levels < or = 10 g/dl. A high proportion of patients had normal TLC (Total Leucocyte Count) levels (n=21; 70%), thus indicating the absence of an inflammatory condition. A major proportion of patients (n=24; 80%) had lymphocyte count > 20. The patients had high prevalence of co-morbidities.Most of patients of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)were 40 to 50 years of age with male predominance from lower socio-economic strata, had a low annual income and a positive history of tuberculosis. Multidisciplinary approach for the management of MDR-TB is needed.