Amit Sharma
National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases ,India
Title: A Study of the factors associated with the treatment outcome of patients put on Bedaquilline containing treatment regimen for Multi-drug Resistant (MDR) TB
Biography
Biography: Amit Sharma
Abstract
Bedaquiline (BDQ) has emerged as new hope in the treatment of MDR TB especially in more complicated cases harboring additional drug resistance such as Fluroroquinolone (FQ) resistance. Wiht its unique mechanism of action whereby it inhibits the Mycobacterial ATP synthase, It promises better success rate for a disease with an otherwise dismal prognosis. NITRD, a tertiary Centre for TB and respiratory diseases was one of the initial sites for implementation of BDQ containing regimens. In our study, we tried to assess the treatment outcome of 43 patients of NITRD which were started on BDQ based regime. Our results showed that more than one-third of the patients (69.8%) had favourable outcome as cure or treatment completed. Unfavourable outcome was mostly associated with increasing age, extensive involvement of Lung parenchyma, addictions (alcoholism, smoking) and concurret Diabetes. Culture conversion time, type of TB, whether Pulmonary or Extra-pulmonary, type of resistance, Second line injectables (SLI) and/or Fluoroquinolone (FQ) and Sputum smear grading were not found to have any association with the treatment outcome of patients on Bedaquiline containing regimen. Our results are encouraging since a good outcome was achieved in patients with more extensive resistace pattern. BDQ has emerged has a potent weapon in the arsenall of anti-tubercular drugs and is now classified in the group A drugs for treatment of MDR TB. Its use is now finding application in national as well as international TB Elimination programmes all around the globe.