Multi Drug Resistance: A Continuous Challenge by a Century Old Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Nasreen Qazi *
Pharmacology Department, Bilawal Medical College, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
Shah Nawaz Jamali
Pharmacology Department, Dow International Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Ayesha Aftab
Department of Pharmacology, Al-Nafees Medical College, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Imran Ahmed
Department of Pediatrics, Roshan Soleman Medical College, Tando Adam, Sindh, Pakistan.
Sadat Memon
Department of Pharmacology, Liaquat University Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
Gunesh Kumar
Department of Pharmacology, Liaquat University Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Tuberculosis is a mycobacterial infection caused by mycobacterium tuberculous bacillus. Anti-tuberculous drugs are drugs used to treat tuberculosis which include first line anti-tuberculosis drugs used to treat tuberculosis initially when the infection is non-resistant these include Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol. Second line anti-tuberculosis drugs which are used to treat resistant tuberculosis or when first line drugs are contraindicated these include Ethionamide, Capreomycin, ciprofloxacin etc. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is tuberculosis not responding to 2 first line anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Methods: This study was aimed at determining the frequency of MDR pattern in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases. The design was cross sectional and the study was conducted at Tuberculosis and chest diseases Center Mirpur Khas in 2017 over two years.
Results: Total 458 MDR patients were evaluated 252(55%) females and 206(45%) were males. Isoniazid and Rifampicin were resistant in 97 (21.17%) cases while Isoniazid, Ethambutol and Rifampicin were found to be resistant in 40(8.73%) cases. The resistance for Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Rifampicin was observed in 50(10.92%) cases whereas 60(13.10%) patients were resistant to Isoniazid, Rifampicin and Streptomycin. Isoniazid, Ethambutol, Rifampicin and Streptomycin were resistant in 75(16.38%) cases. Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Rifampicin and Streptomycin resistance was seen in 40(8.73%) patients and 96(20.96%) of the cases shoed resistance to Isoniazid, Ethambutol, Pyrazinamide and Rifampicin.
Conclusion: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is highly prevalent in the region.
Keywords: Multidrug-resistance, MDR- tuberculosis, 1st line drugs