Clinical features and therapeutic efficacy in patients with pulmonary multidrug-resistant cavitary tuberculosis at Russian penitentiary system

The aim of this study was to analyze the course of the disease and efficacy of treatment of pulmonary multidrugresistant (MDR) cavitary tubercu losis in antituberculosis settings of Russian penitentiary system. Drug resistant was studied using the method of absolute concentrations. Among 190 males with MBTpositive cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis followedup in antituberculosis hospitals of Russian penitentiary system in Voronezh in 2003–2006, 79 patients (41.6 ± 3.4 %) were yielded MDR strains resistant to the firstline antimucobacterial drugs and 111 patients (58,4 ± 3,4 %) had strains resistant both to the firstline and the secondline drugs (isoniazid and rifampicin). Moreover, MBT strains resistant to cycloserine and quinolones were found in patients who have not been previously treated with these drugs. Both newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary tubercu losis and those with recurrent cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis had a high rate of primary and secondary MDR to the firstline and the secondline antimicobacterial drugs. Administration of I and IIA chemotherapeutic regimens in these patients resulted in occurrence of additional resistance to a wide spectrum of the firstline and the secondline antibiotics. Patients with chronic pulmonary tuberculosis are at high risk of MDR to combi nations of the firstline and the secondline drugs and need other treatment strategies including surgical interventions. Tuberculosis patients with MDR to combinations of the firstline and the secondline drugs were characterized by more severe chronic course of the disease with extended lesions and large cavities in the lungs. Adverse events to the secondline drugs were seen in 42.6 % of the patients with cavitary tuberculosis. Of them, serious adverse events requiring cancellation of the drug and change in chemotherapeutic regimen were noted in 17.9 % of cases.