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Abstract
Purpose
The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) represents a threat to the control of tuberculosis. This study aimed to estimate the patterns and trends of DR-TB in patients with suspected DR-TB. In addition, risk factors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) were identified among suspected DR-TB patients in Dalian, China.
Patients and Methods
A total of 5661 patients with suspected DR-TB from Jan 1, 2013 to Dec 31, 2020 were included in the final analysis. The resistance pattern of all resistant strains was determined by drug susceptibility testing (DST) using the conventional Lowenstein-Jensen Proportion Method (LJ). DR-TB trends were estimated from 2013 to 2020. During the research period, the chi-square test was employed to analyze the significance of linear drug-resistance trends across time. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess factors associated with MDR-TB.
Results
From 2013 to 2020, the resistance rates of rifampicin (RFP) and isoniazid (INH) decreased significantly, whereas the resistance rates of ethambutol (EMB) and streptomycin (SM) increased in patients with suspected DR-TB. From 2013 to 2020, the prevalence of DR-TB decreased in all patients from 34.71% to 28.01% with an average annual decrease of 3.02%. Among new cases, from 2013 to 2020, the prevalence of DR-TB (from 26.67% to 24.75%), RFP-resistant TB (RR-TB) (from 15.09% to 3.00%) and MDR-TB (from 6.08% to 2.62%) showed a significant downward trend. Among patients with a previous treatment history, DR-TB (from 54.70% to 37.50%), RR-TB (from 44.16% to 11.49%) and MDR-TB (from 26.90% to 10.34%) showed a significant downward trend from 2013 to 2020. Males (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.035–1.585), patients 45 to 64 years of age (AOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.342–2.284), patients 65 years and older (AOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.293–2.104), rural residents (AOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.014–1.519) and a previous treatment history (AOR 3.94, 95% CI 3.275–4.741) were risk factors for MDR-TB.
Conclusion
The prevalence of DR-TB, RR-TB and MDR-TB was significantly reduced from 2013 to 2020. Considerable progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of DR-TB during this period. However, the increasing rate of drug resistance in EMB and SM should be taken seriously. Suspected DR-TB patients who are male, older than 45 years of age, live in rural areas, and have a history of TB treatment should be given priority by health care providers.
Consent for Publication
Not applicable as details like videos or images related to study subjects were not recorded for this study.
Acknowledgments
We are indebted to all study participants whose data were used in this study. We thank the Haoqiang Ji for revision suggestions. We also thank Dongping Pan for his support of this research.
Author Contributions
YP contribute to conception and study design, analysis, interpretation of data and drafting the article. All authors made substantial contributions to acquisition of data, revising or critically reviewing the article; agreed to submit to the current journal; gave final approval of the version to be published; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.