Risk factors for high death and loss-to-follow-up rates among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis at a programmatic management unit

- Despite programmatic efforts, high death and loss to follow up rates are alarming.
- Ofloxacin resistance and baseline low body weight emerged as risk factors for death.
- This stresses for preserving susceptibility to fluoroquinolones.
- Rural residence emerged as a risk factor for loss to follow up.
- For rural patients, reducing the frequency of visits in continuation phase in proposed.

Among 186 retrospectively evaluated patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, 33.9% were cured, 6.6% completed treatment, 25% died, 18.3% were lost to follow-up, 2.2% failed treatment, and 13.8% were still undergoing treatment by the end of the study period. Rural residence was a risk factor for loss to follow-up (odds ratio [OR], 3.315; P = .016), whereas baseline body weight <40 kg (OR, 2.175; P = .042) and resistance to ofloxacin (OR, 2.889; P = .025) were risk factors for death. Despite programmatic management, treatment outcomes of the current cohort were distressing.