The Pattern of Drug Resistance in Iraqi Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Referred to the Specialized Center for Chest and Respiratory Disease

Abstract

ABSTRACT:BACKGROUND:Tuberculosis control in the world today must face the challenge posed by the global spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains that are resistant to standard anti-TB drugs. OBJECTIVE:This study was done to identify the drug resistance to the first line antituberculosis drugs in Iraqi Patients.METHODS:This prospective study conducted in National Center for Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases in Baghdad from January 2012 to August 2012.For study the demographic characters and drug sensitivity test (DST) in a total number of 155 case of sputum smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (97 old and58 New) For each patient 3 consecutive sputum samples were taken for direct smear microscopy and cultured to test drug resistance for First Line anti-TB drugs (INH, Rifampicin ,Ethambutol and pyrazinamide). RESULTS:In this study we found ethambutol resistant in 20(34.5%)of samples in the new group and in 49(50.5%) of samples in old group. On the other hand,our study showed that resistance to rifampicin in the new group was 58.6% while in the old group was 75.3%. In regard to the INH drug resistance it seen in 72.4% of samples in new group and in 83.5% of samples in old group.This study showed that reistance to streptomycin present in 44.8% of new group samples and in 55.7% of old group samples .The pattern of drug resistance according to patient group show high frequency of polyresistance 82 cases in both patient group(new and old) and low frequency in other group of resistance 14 cases,and MDR type of resistance in total of 17 cases .CONCLUSION:The study showed 11%(17/155) of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in this sample of patients had multidrug resistance MDR tuberculosis . .