Comparing drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis treatment with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Pulmonary TB and type 2 DM are interdependent medical-epidemiological challenges with high global impact. Pulmonary TB cannot improve in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Pulmonary TB in patients with type 2 DM presents distinct characteristics, making it crucial to diagnose and treat to understand the effects of TB and oral antidiabetic drugs. The purpose of this study was to compare the duration of treatment for drug-resistant pulmonary TB in the presence and absence of type 2 DM. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and single-population proportion method. The participants were enrolled using a consecutive sampling technique. The comparison focused on patients with drug-resistant TB with and without type 2 DM. Initially, 80 patients were recruited; however, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 22 patients remained. Results: Among the 80 patients, 44 had drug-resistant pulmonary TB with type 2 DM, and 36 patients did not have type 2 DM. The male-to-female ratios ranged from 53 (66.3%) to 27 (33.8%). GeneXpert results in both groups indicated rifampicin resistance. Regarding treatment duration, 13 patients with drug-resistant pulmonary TB and type 2 DM who completed treatment mostly recovered between the 18th and 24th months, whereas nine patients with drug-resistant pulmonary TB without type 2 DM who completed treatment recovered between the 6th to 24th month (Mann‒Whitney test, P = 0.000). Conclusion: The treatment period for patients with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis with type 2 DM was much longer than that for patients with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis without type 2 DM.