Eight drug-resistant TB cases detected in DK

March 28, 2013 12:47 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 10:10 pm IST - MANGALORE:

Eight cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have been detected in Dakshina Kannada since January.

MDR-TB is resistant to two of the four first-line drugs administered to patients. This requires treatment for two years with drugs that are expensive, toxic, and not particularly potent. Those who do not complete the first line of treatment are more vulnerable to the condition.

According to District Tuberculosis Officer Ramakrishna Rao, MDR-TB cases were detected following the programme to treat the condition began in the district in January. Of the eight, the cause for MDR-TB in two patients has been non-adherence to the nine-month schedule of consumption of first line drugs.

As part of the programme, the District Tuberculosis Office have been identifying persons suspected to have resistance for Isoniazid and Rifampicin – the two important of the four first line drugs. Samples of sputum collected from these patients are being sent for Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing facility available at the State Tuberculosis Training and Demonstration Centre in Bangalore, which is the only accredited testing facility for TB in the State.

Each district can only send samples of 32 patients per month to this laboratory. The District TB Office has sent 16 samples in January and 18 in February. Samples from as many as eight persons have been sent in March, Dr. Rao said. The sputum samples are sent to the laboratory within 24 hours from the time of collection of sample by placing it in a special packing for maintaining cool temperature.

Those found positive for MDR-TB were being given second line treatment for a period two years. Dr. Rao said the second line treatment, which involved administration of four drugs and an injection, does cause side-effects to patients. “Patients do regret having stopped consuming first line drugs for which they have to undergo this pain,” Dr. Rao said.

Shashidhar Buggi, honorary secretary of the Karnataka State Tuberculosis Association, said efforts were under way to set up laboratories in Hubli, Bellary, Gulbarga and Mangalore. MDR-TB can be combated by having an effective mechanism to ensure regular administration of drugs to patients. There should be adherence to guidelines mentioned in the Revised National Tuberculosis Programme, he said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.