Abstract
Tuberculosis treatment has undergone recent changes in Brazil. Objective. To assess whether favorable outcomes on tuberculosis therapy improved in recent years. Methods. Retrospective observational study, based on primary data of tuberculosis patients, followed at INI-FIOCRUZ, from January 2012 to December 2014. Results. The outcomes observed were as follows: cure (80%), default (14%), treatment failure (5%), and death (1%). HIV infection without antiretroviral therapy [OR 0.34 (0.15–0.79)], tuberculosis diagnosis based on sputum smear [OR 0.22 (0.07–0.74)], drug use [OR 0.22 (0.11–0.46)], and/or treatment interruption due to adverse reactions [OR 0.23 (0.08–0.67)] decreased the chance of cure. Predictors of default, that is, use of noninjecting drugs [OR 3.00 (95% CL 1.31–6.88)], treatment interruption due to adverse reactions [OR 6.30 (1.81–21.95)], low schooling [OR 2.59 (2.15–5.82)], higher age [OR 0.44 (0.23–0.82)], and female gender [OR 0.28 (0.11–0.71)], reduced the chance of treatment default. Tuberculosis diagnosis based on sputum smear [OR 7.77 (1.94–31.09)] and/or arterial hypertension [OR 4.07 (1.25–13.18)] was associated with treatment failure. Conclusion. Mortality and default were low considering the prevalence of HIV infection; however cure was not significantly increased.
Highlights
IntroductionBrazil is one of the 22 countries with the highest number of TB cases and the 16th in the world in absolute number of cases [1]
Tuberculosis (TB) is still a challenge in developing countries
Brazil was among the five countries in the world still using a 3-drug regimen for TB because primary resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid was just 1% in the country [4]
Summary
Brazil is one of the 22 countries with the highest number of TB cases and the 16th in the world in absolute number of cases [1]. In 2014, 67,966 new cases were diagnosed and 4,577 subjects died of TB in Brazil. At this year, default rate was 10,5% and cure rate was 72,8% [2]. Between 1979 and 2009, the Brazilian Ministry of Health recommended a standard first-line TB treatment with rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide in the intensive phase [3]. Brazil was among the five countries in the world still using a 3-drug regimen for TB because primary resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid was just 1% in the country [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
