Tuberculosis Department Research Articles

Expert consensus on surgical treatment of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in China (2022 edition)

The cure rate of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in the world is about 60%, and timely surgical intervention can increase the cure rate to more than 85%. The treatment of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis requires multidisciplinary involvement of tuberculosis department, thoracic surgery department, imaging department, laboratory department and other disciplines to significantly reduce its morbidity and mortality. Although the World Health Organization has defined the role and status of surgery in the treatment of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis, there are significant differences in the cognition and diagnosis and treatment methods of domestic clinicians on multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, it is urgent to develop expert consensus on surgical treatment of multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis for clinicians to learn from in clinical diagnosis and treatment practice. The Chinese Society for Tuberculosis,Chinese Medical Association organized experts in tuberculosis thoracic surgery to write the first draft of consensus based on the expert suggestion on surgical diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis written by the European Office of the World Health Organization in 2014 and the 2019 version of China's multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis expert consensus, and combined with China's national situation. This consensus systematically elaborated seven aspects, including surgical indications, contraindications to surgery, conditions and timing of surgery, surgical methods and indications of various surgical procedures, preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy, treatment of surgical complications, and perioperative management of patients with multidrug-resistant and rifampin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. After discussion and voting by experts, six recommendations were formed, aiming to provide reference for clinicians in the treatment of multidrug-resistant and rifampin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis and further improve the standardized diagnosis and treatment level of multidrug-resistant and rifampin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in China.

Sonographic changes of abdominal organs in children with different course of tuberculosis infection

In order to determine the frequency and nature of sonographic changes in abdominal organs in children with tuberculosis infection, 192 patients at the age of 6 months -14 years were examined on the basis of the tuberculosis department of City Children’s Infectious Hospital №3 for the period 2019-2021. 3 groups of patients were identified: group 1 - 92 children with active respiratory tuberculosis; group 2 – 52 children with residual post-tuberculosis changes; group 3 – 48 children with latent tuberculosis infection at risk of tuberculosis. Sonographic liver changes (reactive and/or intrahepatic cholestasis and/or hepatomegaly) were observed in children with active tuberculosis in 40.2±5.1% of cases, in children of group 3 - in 35.4±6.9% of cases and less often in children of group 2 - in 17.3±5.3% of cases (p<0.05). Changes of the gallbladder (violations of bile outflow and/or shape changes) were visualized in children with active tuberculosis in 73.9±4.6% of cases, in children of group 3 (60.4±7.1% of cases), less often in children of group 2 (55.8±6.7% of cases, p<0.05 for group 1). Changes of the pancreas were reactive and were more often observed in children of group 1 - in 14.1± 3.5% of cases than in children of group 2 (5.8±3.2% of cases, p<0.05) and group 3 (4.2± 2.9% of cases). Also, ultrasound changes of the spleen were more often detected in children with active tuberculosis - in 17.4±4.0% of cases than in children of group 2 (5.8±3.2% of cases, p<0.05) and group 3 (2.1±2.1% of cases, p<0.05).

Impact of COVID-19 in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Descriptive Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to health systems worldwide. Limiting healthcare availability may delay early diagnosis and worsen the treatment effects of various diseases, including oncological diseases. We analyzed patients presenting to the 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Białystok, Poland, with suspicion of lung cancer 12 months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-COVID-19) and, similarly, 12 months after the outbreak of the pandemic (mid-COVID). In total, 320 patients were analyzed-132 prior to and 188 after the COVID-19 outbreak. During the COVID-19 period, there was a lower percentage of patients presenting with ECOG performance status 0-1, with a noticeably increased percentage of patients with ECOG PS ≥2. The disease's clinical stage (CS) was higher on admission during COVID-19. We observed more use of immunotherapy and more deaths before the start of treatment during the COVID-19 period. These results provide insight into the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer patients and underscore the importance of conducting further studies to assess the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population.

Sex transition from female to male as a risk factor for sleep-disordered breathing

AimThe female-to-male (FtM) sex transition requires lifelong supplementation with male sex hormones, resulting in high prevalence of weight gain, fat redistribution and other metabolic changes. Although sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) data for this group of patients are very limited, increased prevalence is expected. We report a mini-series of six case reports of FtM transsexuals treated in our centre. Patients and methodsAll reported cases are consecutive patients referred to a department of respiratory diseases and tuberculosis of a university hospital from 2017 to 2022. The standard pulmonary examination was performed, followed by limited polysomnography. ResultsIn all FtM subjects, SDB was present and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was indicated. The sex transition process was completed in three individuals while the other three only took testosterone supplementation at the assessment time. The subjects’ age ranged from 21 to 38 years, the apnoea-hypopnea index ranged from 17.3 to 104.1, and the BMI was 33.48–43.41. The CPAP therapy was effective in five patients, with one requiring bi-level positive airway pressure therapy. One subject committed suicide before the first check-up, four patients had a good level of compliance at one-year follow-up, and one had insufficient CPAP adherence. ConclusionSDB decreases the quality of life and life expectancy of FtM individuals. Their prognosis is undoubtedly better with effective treatment. Hence, obese FtM subjects should be considered at risk and screened for SDB.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Diseases- An Institutional Experience.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a widely accepted investigative tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions. This study was done to find out the usefulness of BAL in diagnosis of pulmonary lesions from central Indian patient population. A cross-sectional prospective study was performed over a period of three years. All the BAL specimens of patients presenting to Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis during a period of January 2017 to December 2019 were included in the study. Cyto-histopathologic correlation was done, wherever available. Of total 277 cases, there were 178 (64.5%) males and 99 (35.5%) females. The age of patients ranged from 4 years to 82 years. In 92 (33%) cases, specific infective etiology could be identified on BAL cytology, the most common being tuberculosis (26%) followed by fungal infections (2%). Rarely, infections like nocardia, actinomycosis, and hydatidosis were also identified. Eight cases (3%) of malignancy were identified which included two cases of adenocarcinoma, one case of small cell carcinoma, three cases of poorly differentiated carcinoma, and two cases suspicious for malignancy. Some rare diagnoses like diffuse alveolar damage, pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis, and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis could be identified on BAL. BAL is useful in primary diagnosis of infections and malignancies of lower respiratory tract. BAL may aid in diagnostic workup of diffuse lung diseases. A combination of clinical information, high-resolution computed tomography, and BAL analysis may furnish an assured diagnosis to the clinician and obviate need for invasive procedures.

The association between type 2 diabetes and pulmonary cavitation revealed among IGRA-positive tuberculosis patients.

The co-occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) presents a significant obstacle to TB eradication. Pulmonary cavitation can occur in severe cases of TB, particularly in patients with DM. From 1 May 2014 through 30 June 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,658 smear- or culture-confirmed pulmonary TB (PTB) patients at the Second Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, Shenzhen, China. A total of 861 participants who satisfied the criteria (chest CT scan for cavitation, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), diagnosis of diabetes mellitus), with the median age of 36.7 years, 63.6% of male, 79.7% IGRA positive, 13.8% with diabetes, and 40.8% with pulmonary cavitation, were included in the study. The association between diabetes and pulmonary cavitation was confirmed in these TB patients (adjusted OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.66-3.94; p < 0.001). No associations were observed between diabetes and IGRA, as well as between lung cavitary and IGRA. Based on the criteria of IGRA+/-, pulmonary cavitation+/-, and DM+/-, the further analysis with univariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted in six subgroups. The significant association between diabetes and pulmonary cavitation was further confirmed in the IGRA+ subgroup (adjusted OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.86-5.16; p < 0.001) but not observed in IGRA- individuals. This observation suggests that different immunological mechanisms of pulmonary cavitary/DM may be employed in IGRA+ TB patients from IGRA- TB patients.

Nutritional status and dietary intake before hospital admission of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Conducting research on nutritional status and dietary intake of pulmonary tuberculosis patients is essential for developing interventions in clinical nutrition practice and treatment during hospitalization, which can improve the quality of patients life. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to determine nutritional status and some related factors (such as geography, occupation, educational level, economic classification, etc.) of 221 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who were examined and treated at the Respiratory Tuberculosis Department, National Lung Hospital in July 2019-May 2020. The results showed that the risk of undernutrition: According to BMI (Body Mass Index): 45.8% of patients were malnourished, 44.2% normal and 10.0% overweight/obese. According to MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference): 60.2% of patients were malnourished, 39.8% of patients were normal. According to SGA (Subjective Global Assessment): 57.9% of patients were at risk of undernutrition, of which 40.7% were at moderate risk of undernutrition and 17.2% risk of severe undernutrition. Classification of nutritional status according to serum albumin index: 50% of patients were malnourished, the rate of undernutrition of mild, moderate and severe levels was 28.9%, 17.9% and 3.2%, respectively. Most patients eat with others and eat less than four meals a day. The average dietary energy of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in was 1242.6 ± 46.5 Kcal and 1084 ± 57.9 Kcal, respectively. 85.52% of patients did not eat enough food, 4.07% had enough, 10.41% consumed excess energy. The ratio of energy-generating substances in the diet (Carbohydrate:Protein:Lipid) was on average 54:18:28 for males and 55:16:32 for females. Most of the study population had diets that did not meet the experimental study in terms of micronutrient content. Specifically, more than 90% do not meet the requirements for magnesium, calcium, zinc, and vitamin D. The water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins respond poorly, only about 30-40%. Selenium is the mineral with the best response rate, above 70%. Our findings revealed that the majority of the study subjects had poor nutritional status, as evidenced by diets lacking in essential micronutrients.

Comprehensive use of a high-frequency electric knife, balloon dilatation, and cryotherapy for tuberculous central tracheobronchial cicatricial constriction

BackgroundTo examine the benefits of interventional therapy for cicatricial constriction using a high-frequency electric knife, saccular dilatation, and cryotherapy.MethodsThis case series included patients with central tracheobronchial cicatricial constriction admitted to the Department of Tuberculosis of Henan Provincial Chest Hospital from July 2018 to March 2021 and treated with bronchoscopic interventional therapies based on systemic anti-tuberculosis treatment.Results96 patients were included, in whom 443 interventional therapies were performed. The total mid-(3 months) and long-term (12 months) effective rates were both 100%. The internal diameter of tracheobronchial stenosis increased after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant (all < 0.05). After interventional treatment, patients’ symptoms of choking sensation in the chest and shortness of breath were relieved. Respiratory function was obviously improved. The ratios of hemorrhage, granulation hyperplasia, chest pain, and postoperative fever were 58.2%, 42.6%, 31.3%, and 26.7%, respectively. No focal transmission and progression of tuberculosis occurred, and no serious complications were observed.ConclusionThe use of a high-frequency electric knife, saccular dilatation, and/or cryotherapy according to the pathological stage of the tracheobronchial cicatricial constriction is feasible, with good mid- and long-term curative effects and few complications.

The course of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected people with COVID-19

Aim. To analyze the course of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in HIV-infected people, depending on the time to COVID-19 diagnosis, using the example of clinical cases from our own observation. Materials and methods. The article presents 3 clinical cases of our own observation of MDR-TB in HIV-infected persons depending on the time to COVID-19 diagnosis in patients, who were treated in the Pulmonary Tuberculosis Department No. 2, clinical base of the Department of Tuberculosis and Pulmonology ZSMU – Municipal non-profit enterprise “Zaporizhzhia Regional Phthisiopulmonology Clinical Medical and Diagnostic Center” of Zaporizhzhia Regional Council. Results. In clinical case 1, in an HIV-infected patient, MDR TB was detected after COVID-19. This clinical case has shown that after mild and treated COVID-19, even on the background of severe immunosuppression, but with AMBT and ART timely prescribed, MDR-TB in the patient had a favorable course with positive dynamics. In clinical case 2, in an HIV-infected patient, MDR-TB was detected concomitantly with COVID-19. The clinical case indicated that the patient received all 3 therapies for MDR-TB, HIV and COVID-19 in full and on time. In contrast to clinical case 1, the patient was diagnosed with a more severe process that required a longer period of treatment, although it was effective. In clinical case 3, an HIV-infected patient with COVID-19 was diagnosed after 5 months of MDR-TB treatment. Against this background, there was culture positivity. But after prescription of appropriate COVID-19 treatment against the background of AMBT and ART, positive dynamics and culture negativity were determined. All 3 patients completed antimycobacterial therapy of MDR-TB with results – recovery. Conclusions. Regardless of the HIV infection duration with underlying severe immunosuppression (&lt;200 CD4 lymphocyte cells) and the time to COVID-19 diagnosis (before, during or after the diagnosis of MDR-TB) on the background of timely therapy of MDR-TB, HIV and COVID-19, positive results can be achieved while saving the lives of patients.

Clinical Study of Different Treatment Methods for Tuberculous Pleuritis Complicated with Pleural Tuberculoma.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy and adverse drug reactions of four different schemes in the treatment of pleural tuberculoma. Methods A total of 120 patients with pleural tuberculoma admitted to the Tuberculosis Department of our hospital from January 2018 to January 2021 were selected as the research subjects. According to different treatment methods, the patients were divided into four groups, with 30 cases in each group. They were as follows: group A received classical HRZE regimen, group B received HRZE+pleural injection, group C received HZE+rifabutin, and group D received HZE+rifabutin+pleural injection. All patients were treated intensively for 3 months and then consolidated treatment for 6 months according to the patient's condition. The absorption of lesions in the four groups at different time was compared, and the occurrences of adverse drug reactions and treatment outcomes during treatment were recorded. Results After 3 months of treatment, compared with groups A, B, and C, the number of significantly absorbed cases and effective cases in group D increased, while the number of invalid cases decreased. However, there was no statistical significance in the absorption of lesions between the four groups (χ2 = 8.272, P = 0.507). In addition, pairwise comparison showed no significant difference in the absorption of lesions (P > 0.05). After 9 months of treatment, there was no significant difference in the absorption of lesions among the four groups (χ2 = 8.795, P = 0.185), but the absorption of lesions in group D was significantly better than that in group A (P < 0.05). During treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions in the four groups was significantly different (χ2 = 8.779, P = 0.032). Pairwise comparison showed that the incidence of adverse reactions in groups C and D was significantly lower than that in group A (P < 0.05). The total treatment course of group A was 9-16 months, and 10 cases (33.33%) still had residual lesions or pleural thickening at the end of treatment. The total course of treatment in group B was 9-12 months, and 7 cases (23.33%) still had residual lesions or pleural thickening at the end of the course of treatment. The total treatment course of group C was 9-16 months, and 8 cases (26.67%) still had residual lesions or pleural thickening at the end of treatment. The total course of treatment in group D was 9-12months, and there were still 2 cases of residual lesions (6.67%) at the end of the course. Conclusions HZE+rifabutin+pleural injection against tuberculosis therapy has a significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of pleural tuberculoma, which can more effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients, improve the efficacy, and reduce complications, with a good prognosis, worthy of clinical promotion.

Features of the simultaneous course of pulmonary aspergillosis and tuberculosis on the background of type 1 diabetes mellitus (clinical case)

Aim. To analyze the features of the simultaneous course of pulmonary aspergillosis and multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on the background of type 1 diabetes mellitus, on the example of a clinical case of our practice. Materials and methods. Clinical case of our practice of simultaneous pulmonary aspergillosis and MDR-TB on the background of type 1 diabetes mellitus in a patient, who was treated in Pulmonary tuberculosis department No. 2 of clinical base of Phthisiatry and Pulmonology Department of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University at Communal Non-Commercial Enterprise of the “Zaporizhzhia Regional Clinical and Diagnostic Center of Phthisiatry and Pulmonology” of Zaporizhzhia Regional Council. Results. In the presented clinical case, the patient had been suffering from diabetes mellitus for 8 years and had been receiving insulin therapy for all these years. One year before the TB disease, he had contact with an index patient, but he categorically refused a course of preventive chemotherapy. Also, the patient did not make a comparison X-ray TCO after 6 months, as a contact person. MDR-TB and aspergilloma of the left lung of the patient were diagnosed simultaneously on the background of severe condition with decompensated form of type 1 diabetes mellitus, severe intoxication syndrome and inflammatory process, massive hemoptysis. Aspergilloma of the left lung was diagnosed using X-ray TCO and cultural examination of bronchial aspirate for Aspergillus, which was not difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis of MDR-TB was also not difficult, because the patient had MBT, which contributed to the timely and correct appointment of antimycobacterial therapy. Surgery for aspergilloma of the left lung was contraindicated, as the type 1 diabetes was in decompensation. Persistent hyperglycemia remained, despite the fact of antifungal therapy and constant correction of insulin therapy prescribed for the patient. Endocarditis quickly developed in the patient, which was the reason of patient’s death. Conclusions. The decompensated form of type 1 diabetes mellitus caused persistent hyperglycemia, which was the reason of immune disorders and this made the patient’s body susceptible to bacterial (MDR-TB) and fungal (aspergillosis) infections, which led to the development of the complication of endocarditis and death. A big mistake in his case, was a categorical refusal by the patient to receive a course of preventive chemotherapy, as a contact person with an index patient. In view of this, in the presence of type 1 diabetes, the patient should have not neglected it. And as a result, the patient had a MDR-TB, one year after. At the same time, the patient did not make a comparison X-ray TCO, after 6 months, as a contact person, which was a possible reason for the missing of early diagnosis of pulmonary aspergilloma. That’s why, a correct treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus and timely preventive radiological examination of the thoracic cavity organs are especially important, as the diabetes mellitus is the most common premorbid background for TB and aspergillosis.

The Novel Predictive Biomarkers for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients.

PurposeThis study was to explore the predictive value of monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR), neutrophils to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR), C-reactive protein-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR), and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB).Patients and MethodsA total of 991 active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB) patients (201 with T2DM) were hospitalized in the Department of Tuberculosis, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were included. The routine blood examination indicators and biochemical parameters were collected to calculate MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR. The Pearson correlation analysis, Univariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to assess the predictive value of MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR for APTB-T2DM patients.ResultsThe levels of MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR in the APTB-T2DM patients were significantly higher than in the APTB-no T2DM patients (P < 0.05). Additionally, the MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR have a positive correlation with fasting blood glucose in the whole study population. However, in the APTB-T2DM patients, MHR, NHR, and CAR were not correlated with fasting blood glucose, and only CLR was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose. The area under curve (AUC) predicting APTB-T2DM patients of the MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR was 0.632, 0.72, 0.715, and 0.713, respectively. Further, univariate logistic regression analyses showed that the higher MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR were independent risk factors for APTB-T2DM (P < 0.01). The MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR quartiles were used to divide the APTB patients into four groups for further analysis. The prevalence of T2DM was significantly higher in APTB individuals as MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR values increased (P < 0.05).ConclusionMHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR are simple and practicable inflammatory parameters that could be used for assessing T2DM in APTB. APTB patients have a greater possibility to be diagnosed with T2DM with the higher MHR, NHR CLR, and CAR values. Therefore, more attention should be given to the indicator in the examination of APTB.

STUDY OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF MDR PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS ON INJECTABLE CONTAINING SHORTER COURSE REGIMEN ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN NORTH INDIA.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease that is a major cause of ill health and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, TB was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS. Multidrug- resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat. Only about one in three people with drug resistant TB accessed treatment in 2020. It was a hospital based, non-randomized and without control group observational and prospectiveMaterial And Methods study, in cohort of DRTB patients conducted at Nodal DRTB Centre and Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases S. N. Medical College Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India 53.89% male and 46.11 % females were affected in the study. 65% patients and 35% patients belong toResult rural and urban populations areas respectively. Cough was present in 100% patients followed by the fever which was present in 95.56% patients. Cough with expectorations was present in 94.44% patients and loss of appetite in 78.89% patients.CONCLUSION: Early detection will be helpful in not only modifying the disease course but also delaying and preventing fatal complication hence patient may be treated earliest by various measures.

Causality assessment, severity and preventability of adverse drug reactions due to first-line antitubercular agents

TB (Tuberculosis) is a common infectious disease affecting humans since very long time. Multidrug therapy with its associated adverse drug reactions is one of the major concerns for the management of TB. The current study has been conducted for identifying causality assessment, severity as well as preventability of first-line anti-tubercular agents. All the diagnosed patients of tuberculosis attending TB and chest department of tertiary care hospital of western India and received Anti-TB drugs over 6 months enrolled in the study. Demographic details, suspected drugs/groups, causality assessment, severity assessment, and preventability assessment were analyzed from reported suspected ADR (adverse drug reaction) forms. Throughout the research period of 6 months, 500 patients received Anti-TB drugs. Among them, (10%) 50 patients developed 121 adverse drug reactions. According to the WHO causality scale, 66 (54.54%) ADRs were classified as ‘probable’ and 53 (43.8%) ADR were ‘possible’. More than half of the reactions (31, 62%) were mild on the severity scale while most of the ADRs were definitely (34, 68%) preventable as per the preventability scale. Gastrointestinal system is the most common affected system (54, 47.62%) followed by dermatological disorders (26, 23.01%) and Liver and biliary system (20, 16.52%). Isoniazid (46, 38%) and Rifampicin (40, 33%) were the common cause of first-line antitubercular agents for ADRs. ADRs to antitubercular agents are a major concern for patient compliance. Patient education, intensive reporting, and management can be helpful to improve the outcome of antitubercular therapy.

The course of pregnancy and relapse of tuberculosis after COVID-19

The own observation of pregnancy and tuberculosis after COVID-19 in a patient who was treated in the pulmonary tuberculosis department N 2 of the Zaporizhia Regional Phthisiopulmonology Clinical Medical Diagnostic Center is presented. According to the presented clinical case, a woman, who had pulmonary tuberculosis 9 years ago, underwent mild COVID-19 at the 20th week of pregnancy and did not receive any treatment. The patient had of the dispensary observation in the phthisiatrician and regularly underwent preventive check-­up, because of her previous tuberculosis. However, the patient was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the PNE «Regional Perinatal Center» ZRC with moderate preeclampsia, signs of intrauterine fetal hypoxia, in which the mother needed medical care, at the 32nd week of pregnancy. Three days after hospitalization, in view of the fetal distress and preeclampsia, it was made a decision to perform assisted delivery by cesarean section. The child was born alive, vertical transmission of COVID-19 was not diagnosed. Taking into account the history of tuberculosis in anamnesis, the woman underwent X-­ray examination of the thoracic cavity organs, where the reactivation of a specific process, on the background of metatuberculous changes, were revealed. The woman was diagnosed of multidrug­-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-­TB) with a destructive process in the lungs by further examination, that’s why, she was hospitalized to Zaporizhia Regional Clinical and Diagnostic Center of Phthysiatry and Pulmonology» of Zaporizhia Regional Council for further treatment. A course of antimycobacterial therapy (AMBT), according to the modified short­-term treatment regimen, was prescribed to the patient. Against the background of AMBT, rapid positive dynamics was determined: stable cessation of bacterial excretion was determined after 1 month of AMBT, and healing of destruction with the formation of residual post-­tuberculosis changes — after 2 months. The presented clinical case demonstrates the negative impact of COVID-19 both on the course of pregnancy (moderate preeclampsia, which led to cesarean section at 32nd weeks of pregnancy) and on the reactivation of the tuberculous process, with its course in the form of MDR­-TB.

Direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with pulmonary and pleural malignancies – a retrospective analysis of patient outcomes treated at Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital Brno, during the 2nd and 3rd coronavirus waves

The pandemic of COVID-19 has significantly influenced the dia-gnostics and treatment of patients with lung and pleural malignancies. This group of patients is the riskiest, compared to patients with other cancers, both in morbidity and mortality.The data of patients with lung/pleural malignancies and proved COVID-19 positivity were analyzed at the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis, University Hospital Brno, during the period from October 2020 to May 2021. Demographic data, information about the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and oncological disease as well as mortality were monitored. Together with the data from the study population, three case reports are also presented.Fifty-three patients were found (79% males), mean age 69.4 years, mainly with adenocarcinoma histology. A total of 47.1% patients experienced mild course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 56.6% needed hospitalization, 24.5% died. Active anticancer treatment was delayed in 62.4% cases due to SARS-CoV-2 infection; the mean time of the delay reached 14.5 days.Patients with lung and pleural malignancies have a high risk of severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality. Moreover, the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as postcovid changes can complicate the anticancer treatment itself.

Evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibilities of non-tuberculous mycobacteria against linezolid and tigecycline

Mycobacterial susceptibility testing is important for the management of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections. The aim of the study is to determine the susceptibilities of tigecycline (TGC) and linezolid (LZD) against NTM. The study was carried out using stocks of NTM strains in the tuberculosis department of the microbiology laboratory. It was designed a retrospective study. LZD and TGC sensitivities of study isolates were analyzed by microdilution. Forty NTM isolates have been studied. LZD and TGC sensitivities varied according to the NTM type. It is concluded that each isolate should be individually evaluated due to variable susceptibilities to LZD and TGC.

The co-management of tuberculosis-diabetes co-morbidities in Indonesia under the National Tuberculosis Control Program: results from a cross-sectional study from 2017 to 2019

BackgroundIndonesia suffers from a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes (DM). The government initiated national TB-DM co-management activities under the National TB Control Program in 2017. This study investigates the detection and treatment outcomes of TB-DM in Jakarta after implementing these activities, and identifies the main factors associated with these outcomes.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using TB registry data in two districts of Jakarta, East Jakarta (low-income) and South Jakarta (high-income). A 5-step cascade analysis was used: diagnosed TB patients; TB patients tested for DM; diagnosed TB-DM patients; and patients received and completed TB treatment/cured. We conducted descriptive analyses to understand the characteristics of TB and TB-DM patients, and used a two-level mixed-effect logistic regression to explore factors associated with having a DM test and completing TB treatment/being cured.ResultsOver the study period (2017–2019) 50.8% of the new pulmonary TB patients aged over 15 were tested for DM. The percentage increased from 41.7% in 2017–2018 to 60.1% in 2019. Of the TB patients tested for DM, 20.8% were diagnosed with DM. Over 90% of the detected TB-DM patients received standard TB treatment, 86.3% of whom completed treatment/were cured. Patients in East Jakarta were more likely to be tested for DM and to complete standard TB treatment/be cured than patients in South Jakarta (P < 0.001). Bacteriologically positive TB patients were more likely to be tested for DM (OR = 1.37, 95% CIs 1.17,1.60). Patients diagnosed in sub-district level healthcare centers had a higher likelihood of being tested for DM than those in government and private hospitals (P < 0.05). Receiving DM treatment was associated with a higher likelihood of completing TB treatment/being cured (OR = 1.82, 95% CIs 1.20, 2.77).ConclusionsTB-DM case detection significantly improved in 2019 after introducing TB-DM co-management activities in Jakarta, while gaps in TB-DM co-management existed between bacteriologically positive and clinically diagnosed TB patients, and across different types of health facilities. Collaboration between TB and DM departments should be strengthened, and more resources need to be mobilized to further improve the co-management of TB-DM in Indonesia.

Clinical features and risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis.

This study was carried out to explore the clinical features and risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis. Through a retrospective analysis of 3,000 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis history or active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis in the inpatient department of pulmonary tuberculosis in Shandong Provincial Public Health Clinical Center from January 2017 to January 2021, 70 cases of pulmonary aspergillosis were selected and diagnosed. In addition, 70 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis without other fungal infections in the same period were randomly selected as the control group. The risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis were analyzed by multi-factor logistic analysis, and the clinical characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis were analyzed by collecting the basic information of patients, drug use of pulmonary tuberculosis, imaging characteristics, past medical history, and test indicators. Univariate analysis showed that the single risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis were: the types of pulmonary tuberculosis (initial diagnosis or previous reexamination), hormone application time, antibiotic application time (rifampicin), hemoptysis/sputum blood, C-reactive protein, and pulmonary cavity were significantly correlated with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis (p-value <0.05). The proportion of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis was higher than that of patients with simple pulmonary tuberculosis in the follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis, the time of antibiotics application ≥ 1 month, the time of hormone application ≥ 1 week and C-reactive protein. The incidence of hemoptysis/blood in sputum in the clinical symptoms of pulmonary aspergillosis group (24/70) was higher than that of simple pulmonary tuberculosis group (20/70), and the difference was statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in the two indexes of "hormone application time ≥ 1 week" and "antibiotic application time ≥ 1 month" (p-value < 0.05). Hemoptysis/blood in sputum can be considered as the main clinical feature of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis. The main risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis were the application time of antibiotics ≥ 1 month and the application time of hormones ≥ 1 week.

DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

Background Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Depression has been known to be widely associated with chronic systemic conditions. This common psychiatric co- morbidity is often neglected in medical set up which increases the healthcare burden and adversely affects the treatment outcome of patients suffering from tuberculosis. Material and methods 100 consecutive patients suffering from pulmonary TB admitted in Chest and Tuberculosis Department,ANMCH,Gaya giving written informed consent were assessed using a form for sociodemographic details and for depression using Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI). Statistical evaluation was done using Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and results analyzed and tabulated. Results Depression was found in 41% of the patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.In terms of severity,moderate level of depression was reported among the patients in highest fraction i.e 57%. Conclusion The relation between tuberculosis and Depression is bidirectional .The chronicity of TB is likely to be associated with psychological problems like depression which adversely affect the prognosis of TB in the affected patients.