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Short drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment regimen: Towards less loss to follow-up of patients

Abstract:

Diverse drugs to fight the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which causes tuberculosis, have been used for several decades, collaterally resulting in the mutation of strains resistant to one or more of these drugs. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, identified as MDR-TB, is a form of tuberculosis caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampin, the most effective first-line drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes two treatment schemes with second-line drugs for these patients: the traditional long scheme, and the more recent short scheme, which vary in duration and in the drugs administered. Those cases where patients who do not finish their treatment are called Loss Of Follow-up, increasing the risks for the patient and the community. In this research, a pbkp_redictive model is developed, based on data from the treatment of 3 groups of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Ecuador between 2010 and 2015, which allows to conclude that the application of the short treatment regimen makes it possible to reduce by almost half the number of patients who interrupt their attendance to the program, compared to the long regimen of 2 years, joined factors such as psychological challenges, financial difficulties or side effects of medications may have less impact on the patient who is treated in less time.