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Home / The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 19, Number 5

High effectiveness of a 12-month regimen for MDR-TB patients in Cameroon

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SETTING: Two specialised multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment units in Cameroon.

OBJECTIVE: To assess outcome and adverse drug events with a standardised 12-month regimen for MDR-TB among second-line drug naïve patients.

DESIGN: Prospective observational study of MDR-TB patients treated with a standardised 12-month regimen including gatifloxacin, clofazimine, prothionamide, ethambutol and pyrazinamide throughout, supplemented by kanamycin and isoniazid during an intensive phase of a minimum of 4 months. Progress was monitored monthly until treatment completion and twice over one year after treatment cessation.

RESULTS: Eighty-seven potentially eligible patients were lost and never treated due to delayed availability of test results. Among the 150/236 eligible and treated patients, 134 (89%) successfully completed treatment, 10 died, 5 were lost, 1 failed and none relapsed. The patients' mean age was 33.7 years (range 17–68), 73 (49%) were females, 120 (80%) had failed on previous treatment, 30 (20%) were human immunodeficiency virus seropositive, 62 (43%) had a body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 and 41 (27%) had radiographic involvement of five or six of the six lung zones. The most important adverse drug event was hearing impairment, which occurred in 46 of 106 (43%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS: These results add further evidence for the usefulness of shorter, standardised regimens among patients without second-line drug resistance.

Keywords: Cameroon; multidrug resistance; short-course; treatment; tuberculosis

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: *Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, †Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bamenda 2: ‡Independent consultant, Yaoundé, Cameroon 3: §International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 4: §International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France 5: #National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Publication date: 01 May 2015

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

    The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.

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