Frequency of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) among re-treatment cases in NIDCH, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) in Bangladesh has increased as a result of the inadequate management of TB-infected individuals. The present study attempted to detect the frequency of multidrug resistance (MDR) among the TB patients categorically from relapse, category I failure, category II failure, and return after default category I and II cases, using the conventional drug susceptibility test. Among 100 sputum specimens from all four categories, 81 and 84 positive cases were identified under light-emitting diode fluorescence microscope and the Lowenstein–Jensen (L-J) culture method, respectively. Of 84 culture-positive cases, elevated resistance was observed against isoniazid (89.3 %) and rifampicin (91.7 %) compared to that against streptomycin (53.6 %) and ethambutol (47.7 %). Resistance against ofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and kanamycin was 8.3, 5.9, and 2.4 %, consecutively. Fifty-nine cases were found to be MDR-TB. Two of these cases, which showed resistance against kanamycin and ofloxacin, were further identified as XDR. The proportion of XDR cases was more likely to be in the return after default category I and II cases.