THE PREVALENCE OF RIFAMPICIN RESISTANCE IN MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS USING GENEXPERT

Dr. Babul Chandra Saha*, Dr. Khatun E Zannat, Dr. Afia Afrin, Dr. Muhammad Moinul Alam Talukder, Dr. Jakia Binte Joynal

ABSTRACT

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is defined as resistance to at least rifampicin and isoniazid, and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) have emerged as a significant barrier to TB control across the world. Objective: In this study our main goal is to evaluate rifampicin resistance in mycobacterium tuberculosis using GeneXpert in tertiary Medical College and Hospital. Method: This cross-sectional study was done at tertiary medical college and hospital at Dhaka from April 2021 to April 2022, where 60 clinically suspected or documented tuberculosis cases were selected as a sample population. Results: More than half of the study's patients were men, and most (52%) were in their 20s and 30s. There was a significant history of smoking in almost 40% of the patients. Thirteen percent of patients started therapy more than 30 days late, and in eight percent of instances, the treatment was not completed. Results reveal that 5 percent of Rifampicin (RIF) resistant cases discovered by GeneXpert MTB/RIF were phenotypically validated as DR strains, indicating that drug resistance is rather common. Not only that, but 66.7% of the resistant instances were discovered to be male. Conclusion: Our research shows that the spread of medication resistance across TB strains is a major problem for global TB elimination efforts. The excellent sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/high RIF for the identification of RIF resistance validate its use as a screening tool for RIF resistance. Therefore, it would greatly benefit treatment regimen adjustments and DR TB containment if labs routinely tested for DRTB using molecular techniques.

Keywords: Drug resistance (DR), tuberculosis (TB), multiple drug resistance (MDR).