Assessment of treatment outcomes of daily fixed-dose combination therapy among drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis patients: A prospective study from Bengaluru, India

Context: The annual incidence cases report depicts India as having the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden globally. Following a programmatic change, the daily fixed-dose combination (FDC) anti-TB treatment regimens were introduced by the Indian government's National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the treatment outcomes among drug-sensitive pulmonary TB patients receiving daily FDC drugs and the associated factors influencing the treatment outcomes. Settings and Design: A prospective study was conducted among 300 drug-sensitive pulmonary TB cases in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area. Materials and Methods: The TB units and designated microscopic centers (DMCs) were selected by multistage random sampling. Data were collected through a pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaire. Patients were followed up until treatment completion. Statistical Analysis Used: -value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Around 86.33% of patients were cured, 4% had completed treatment, and 1% had treatment failure. Older age, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reactive status, alcohol intake, tobacco use, and migrants were associated with poor outcomes. Conclusions: The daily FDC regimen had better outcomes than intermittent regimens. Smokers, alcoholics, migrants, and patients with co-morbidity need to be given priority in management as they are prone to poorer outcomes.