Residual respiratory disability after successful treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) can result in long-term health consequences, even after successful treatment. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the occurrence of respiratory impairment, other disability states, and respiratory complications following successful PTB treatment. Methods: statistic and prediction intervals. Publication bias was assessed using Doi plots and LFK indices. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021276327). Findings: = 97.6%). Four studies reported data on incidence of lung cancer, with an incidence rate ratio of 4.0 (95% CI 2.1-7.6) and incidence rate difference of 2.7 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 1.2-4.2) when compared to controls. Quality assessment indicated overall low-quality evidence in this field, heterogeneity was high for pooled estimates of nearly all outcomes of interest, and publication bias was considered likely for almost all outcomes. Interpretation: The occurrence of post-PTB respiratory impairment, other disability states, and respiratory complications is high, adding to the potential benefits of disease prevention, and highlighting the need for optimised management after successful treatment. Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation Grant.