Impact of diabetes mellitus on treatment outcome of newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients: A case–Control study

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are major public health problems in developing countries such as India. The link of DM and TB is more prominent in these countries where TB is endemic, and the burden of DM is increasing. Studies regarding the effect of DM on smear conversion and treatment outcome of pulmonary TB (PTB) in India are limited. Aims: The study aimed to compare the conversion and treatment success among new smear-positive PTB patients with and without DM. Materials and Methods: A case–control study was conducted in the department of pulmonary medicine of a tertiary care hospital in eastern India between October 2019 and September 2020. All newly diagnosed smear-positive drug-sensitive PTB patients visiting the outdoor or being admitted were identified, and their initial smear status, history of diabetes, and glycemic status were recorded. All the patients were treated with category I regimen of the Revised National TB Control Program. Sputum smear was followed up at the end of intensive phase and at the end of treatment and compared between diabetic and nondiabetic patients. The software SPSS version 16 was used to analyze all the data. Results: Sixty newly diagnosed smear-positive PTB patients with DM and sixty smear-positive PTB without DM were included in this study. Smear conversion was seen in 24 (40%) out of 60 diabetic TB patients and 55 (91.7%) out of 60 nondiabetic TB patients. Treatment success was seen in 40 (66.7%) out of 60 diabetic TB patients and 56 (93.3%) out of the 60 nondiabetic TB patients. Conclusion: Smear conversion and treatment success rate are lower in diabetic TB patients as compared to nondiabetic TB patients.