Clinical and socio-economic characteristics of a cohort of MDR/XDR TB patients in Bucharest, Romania

Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) patients are likely to suffer from TB-related morbidity, social and economic consequences during and beyond anti-TB treatment. The aim of this study is to describe clinical and socio-economic outcomes of TB patients in Bucharest, Romania. Methods We have established a prospective cohort of patients with MDR/XDR TB followed for more than 2 years from TB diagnosis. We have collected TB-related, laboratory and clinical data, including chest X-ray, lung function measured by spirometry, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and socio-economic information. Results From 50 enrolled participants, 31 remained in the study till month 6. 71% were male with mean age 46.7 (SD 15.4). 41.9% had a previous TB infection and median BMI of 20.3 kg/m2. Baseline CXR showed that on average 47.3% of the lung was affected, with 32.7% at month 6. The majority (71%) of participants had lung impairment at baseline, which remained stable till month 6. The total SGRQ score improved between baseline and month 6 (30 vs 22.8), but remained significantly worse compared to healthy individuals. 52% of participants stated that TB affected their social or private life as well as their household financially at treatment start. Conclusions From the start of anti-TB treatment patients are suffering from lung impairment and experiencing socio-economic impact of TB. This cohort demonstrates a slow and slight longitudinal improvement of these outcomes and brings awareness to the need of employing social and rehabilitation programs to target TB impact. Key messages • MDR/XDR TB patients suffer from a significant morbidity and socio-economic burden in Romania. • Targeted measures are needed to address this burden during and after TB treatment.