Demographic Patterns of Multidrugresistant-Tuberculosis Patients in a Tertiary Care Centre in India

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of death worldwide. The use of streamlined treatment approaches has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of control efforts by enhancing patient compliance and ensuring appropriate use of the available anti-TB medications. This study aims to evaluate the demographic patterns and presenting symptoms of patients undergoing Multidrugresistant-TB treatment at a tertiary care centre in India. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted over a period of one year from 01.09.2023 to 30.09.2024 at Chest Diseases Hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu, India. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with resistant TB during the study period were included in the study as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The mean age of the patients was 41.62± 18.77 years (Range 5.0-91.0 years) and males outnumbered the female patients in the study. The presence of a range of clinical symptoms, including less typical presentations, highlights the need for a high index of suspicion for TB, especially MDR, in patients with persistent respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge on the demographic and clinical characteristics of MDR TB patients in the region and can inform targeted interventions and resource allocation for the prevention and management of this public health challenge. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Multi Drug Resistant, respiratory symptoms.