Hematological Profiles of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North-Central Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Background and aims Tuberculosis is a major infectious disease that affects hematological profiles. However, limited data assess changes in hematological profiles among patients with pulmonary and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the hematological profiles of pulmonary and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from January 1 to May 30, 2023. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 159 study participants selected by the consecutive sampling technique. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected through a structured questionnaire and checklist, respectively. A complete blood count was performed using an automated hematology analyzer, and a sputum sample was analyzed using the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF. The data were entered into Epi-Data software and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The median values of hematological parameters were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. A p -value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The median and interquartile ranges of red blood cell parameters (red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean cell volume, and mean cell hemoglobin concentration) were significantly lower in pulmonary tuberculosis patients compared to those with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and healthy controls. In pulmonary tuberculosis patients, the magnitude of anemia and neutrophilia was 18.2% (29/159) and 9.4% (15/159), respectively. Meanwhile, eosinophilia 8.2% (13/159) and neutropenia 6.3% (10/159) were high among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients. Conclusion Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis show lower red blood cell parameters, higher counts of white blood cells and neutrophils compared to multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis and healthy controls. Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis patients also exhibit reduced red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels versus healthy individuals. Both pulmonary tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients displayed various hematological abnormalities like anemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, eosinophilia, and thrombocytopenia. Therefore, assessing these hematological profiles can aid in diagnosing and monitoring tuberculosis patients.