Treatment and follow-up of HIV-negative multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in an infectious diseases reference hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

SETTING: An Argentinean reference hospital specialising in infectious diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients referred to or diagnosed at Hospital Muñiz.

DESIGN: Clinical study for the period 1996-1999, with follow-up until June 2002.

RESULTS: One hundred and forty-one adult patients (52.5% female) with resistance to two to seven drugs were studied. Fifty patients (35.5%) had not been treated previously. The most frequently used second-line drugs were 5-F-quinolones, cycloserine and ethionamide in susceptibility based individually tailored three- to five-drug regimens. Hospital admission was associated with treatment success. Forty-five episodes of severe toxicity occurred. Treatment was successful in 51.8% of cases, but follow-up of 73 patients yielded 11.9% relapse. The mortality rate was 19.1% and default was 19.9%. Logistic regression analysis was statistically significant for treatment success in relation to patient admission, residence and resistance pattern.

CONCLUSION: The burden of MDR-TB in this setting--prolonged infection, treatment cost and difficulties, low rates of cure and treatment adherence and high rates of fatality and relapse--can be improved by strengthening TB control programme activities and fighting against poverty and HIV/AIDS.