Drug-resistant tuberculosis in Guantánamo province, 2010-2019

Introduction: an increase in the number of drug-resistant tuberculosis patients has been observed in the last 10 years in Cuba and, especially, in Guantánamo province. This is the province with the highest incidence in the country. Objective: to identify the epidemiological characteristics and the resistance pattern of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Guantánamo province. Method: a descriptive, cross-sectional study was designed that included all cases (n=6) with drug-resistant tuberculosis, diagnosed between December 2010 and December 2019. The variables studied were: age, gender, therapeutic regimen, economic situation, categories of cases, epidemiological classification of resistance, and resistance of the isolated strain according to the grade and profile. Results: males predominated (66.6%), and also the age group under 45 years (83.3%), the greatest resistance was caused by not abiding the previous treatments (66.6%), categorized mostly as chronic, and readmitted due to treatment abandonment. Highschool degree (66.7%) predominated, with a moderate economic situation (50.0%) and high levels of alcoholism (66.7%). Multi-drug resistance prevailed in the strains in patients with previous treatment (66.6%). Conclusions: there is a coincidence of the epidemiological pattern and the resistance pattern shown in the current research with the results of previous national and international studies; these results suggest flaws in the local application of the Programa Nacional de Control y Tratamiento de la tuberculosis. It is recommended to investigate and resolve these flaws, which would have an immediate impact on reducing the incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis.