Abstract
Background: Although Romania is a country with high TB notification rate, the weight of HIV-positive patients among all TB cases is around 1%. Besides, the MDR-TB and HIV co-infected cases are only a few yearly, but they have very low chance to be successfully treated.
Aims: To analyze treatment outcomes of MDR-TB and HIV co-infected patients reported in Romania, from 2006 to 2009.
Methods: Descriptive retrospective analysis of MDR TB-HIV co infected patients reported between 2006- 2009 in the TB National Electronic Database.
Results: A total of 23 such cases have been notified in those 4 years. All were under 50 years old (13 even under 21 years). Gender ratio was F/M = 10/13. Only 20 patients were on antiretroviral therapy. All had pulmonary TB. As case category 11 were new cases, 3 relapses, 3 chronics, 1 retreatment after default and 5 retreatments after failure. Smear microscopy was positive in 15 patients. Drug sensitivity tests showed 12 resistances only to isoniazid and rifampin (HR), 2 extensively drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) and 9 resistances to HR and at least one additional drug. Most of them received treatment with Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol, Kanamycine, Protionamide, Ciprofloxacin and Cycloserine. Duration of treatment varied between 2 and 24 months. The treatment outcomes were: 8 had successful treatment, 5 were still continuing at the time of analysis, 4 failed, 3 died and 3 defaulted.
Conclusions: Treatment success rate in MDR-TB-HIV co-infected patients in Romania was 34.8% in the 4 analyzed years. Management of MDR-TB in sero-positive patients need to be improved.
- © 2011 ERS
