Treatment outcome and mortality among geriatric patients diagnosed with multiple-drug resistant tuberculosis: a comparative analysis from a tertiary referral center

Abstract

Aim: multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) and drug-sensitive-TB have long treatment periods which affect patient compliance and treatment outcomes. We planned to determine the factors that will affect the management of this disease in the elderly population. Methods: in a period of two years, a total of 82 elderly patients with bacteriologically proven TB enrolled into our retrospective study between 2011-2018. The patients' demographic features, laboratory findings, and hospital records were analyzed. Results: we enrolled 67 (87.7%) patients with drug-sensitive TB and 15 (18.2%) MDR-TB in our study. In the study population, 73.2% (n=60) were male and the mean age was 75 +/- 9 years. When we compare treatment complications of MDR-TB and drug-sensitive-TB, we found out the rate of electrolyte imbalance, nephrotoxicity, and ocular toxicity more common among the MDR-TB group (p=0.008, p=0.008, and p=0.032, respectively). When we compare the mortality rate, cure, and treatment success between MDR-TB and drug sensitive TB, there were no statistically significant results (p=0.898, p=0.549, p=0.488; respectively). Conclusion: however, we think that this was due to the low sample size. Nevertheless, we should be careful in terms of complications management of the geriatric population.