ABSTRACT

Background: Tuberculosis is a mycobacterial infection caused by mycobacterium tuberculous bacillus. Antituberculous drugs are drugs used to treat tuberculosis which include first line anti-tuberculosis drugs used to treat tuberculosis initially when the infection is non-resistant these include Isoniazid, Refampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol. Second line anti-tuberculosis drugs which are used to treat resistant tuberculosis or whenfirst line drugs are contraindicated these include Ethionamide, Capreomyin, ciprofloxacin etc. Multidrug-resitant tuberculosis is tuberculosis not responding to 2 first line antituberulosis drugs.

Aims: To determine the frequency of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases and to determine the difference between the two genders.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Tuberculosis Center Mirpur Khas from 1st February 2015 to 28th February 2017.

Methodology: Two hundred and six tuberculosis patients were evaluated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and non-MDR tuberculosis and information was obtained.

Results: Multidrug-resistant cases were 184 (89.32%) while non-MDR cases were 19 (10.68%) with a non-significant difference between the two genders at p-value 0.675. INH resistance was observed in 4 (1.94%) patients, Resistance against the Rifampicin was seen in 15 (7.28%) patients while other cases were of multi drug resistant tuberculosis.

Conclusion: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is highly prevalent in the region and there is non-significant association between MDR-tuberculosis and the sex of the patient.

Keywords: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, Frequency, Gender