Survival Probability in Multidrug Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in a South Indian Region

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a burgeoning threat to public health requiring novel strategies to combat the infection. Although national tuberculosis elimination programs focus on improving health services, challenges in eradicating tuberculosis still exist. Factors attributing to unfavorable outcomes are unknown in Warangal district of Telangana state. Methods: This study included 296 patients diagnosed with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. The study participants followed up for a maximum of 20 months to determine treatment outcomes. Statistical applications of Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test used to find the survival probabilities in subgroups. Results: The survival of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients was ascertained, in male and female patients, aged between 31 and 50 years. Resistance to rifampicin was prominent. The study found a survival rate of 76.68% and a mortality rate of 23.31%. The log-rank test revealed a significant difference in survival in subcategories with and without comorbidities (P = .03), non-adherence to treatment (P = .0001), treatment duration (P = .02), regimens (P = .01), and grading of radiograph (P = .0001). Conclusion: This study identified factors that influenced the survival probability of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients, including comorbidities, weight band, non-adherence to treatment, treatment duration, regimens, and grading of radiograph. These findings emphasize the need for enhanced management strategies to improve treatment outcomes.