Adverse events in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Objective: To study the frequency and nature of side effect in patients receiving second line anti TB drugs Introduction: Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (DUHS) Karachi Pakistan is managing drug resistant TB patients since 1996. AAdverse events associated with second line drugs have a severe impact on adherence. Frequency of adverse events is not studied in resource-limited settings. Since 2009 patients are being managed according to WHO guideline. Treatment regimen is tailored t and data management i and account of side effect is maintained Method: Patients registered from 1st -01- 2009 to 30-09-10 were included Data from DR TB 01 was recorded in Microsoft excel and o SPSS 16 and analyzed Results: 440 patients were registered.Age range from 9 -76 year (mean 32.9,). ratio of male to female was 54.7: 45.3. 99.3% had pulmonary tuberculosis Abdominal symptom were present in 51.4%, heart burn 48 (11.3%), abdominal pain/discomfort in 71 16.7%, epigastric pain in 29.3%, nausea and vomiting in 28.2%. Vertigo observed in 140 (31.7%), hearing loss in 3.5% Depression in 5%, anxiety in 22 (5%), headache in 56 (12.7%) and 0.7%. had uneasiness.Psychosis in 12 (2.8%).y one had seizure, 43 joint pain. Hypothyroidism in 15 patients. Mild itching present in 7,5% cases one had exfoliated dermatitis. The onset of symptom was from seven days to 120 day. Most patients responded to symptomatic treatment, Drug were transiently stopped in patients with psychosis, completely in patient with exfoliative dermatitis and changed in 02 patients with gasteritis and one with psychosis Conclusion: Gastrointestinal event were most frequent.Treatment can be continued with treatment of adverse event in most of the cases.