Analysis of predictive factors for adverse effects of antituberculosis treatments

Objective? Anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy is likely to cause a number of serious side effects that require treatment to be stopped and the dose reduced. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing adverse reactions to anti-tuberculosis drugs. Materials and methods. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using a questionnaire, including 80 patients with active tuberculosis undergoing first-line anti-tuberculosis treatment at the Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases Control Service in Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria). Results. The sex ratio F/M of our patients was 1.85 in favour of women, with a mean age of 36 years. Pulmonary involvement was present in 32.5% of cases and extrapulmonary involvement in 67.5%. These patients benefited from four-drug RHZE anti-tuberculosis therapy in 93.80% of cases. Adverse effects occurred in 76.25% of patients, of which 15.16% were serious adverse effects. Digestive disorders were the most common adverse event (33.1%), followed by arthralgia (18.4%), peripheral neuropathy (15.60%), skin disorders (15.60%), hematological disorders (7.5%) and liver disorders (5.7%). Univariate analysis showed that certain classes of self-medication had a significant effect on the occurrence of adverse reactions to anti-tuberculosis drugs (p=0.05). In addition, female sex was associated with joint pain (p=0.029) and nausea and vomiting (p=0.01). Co-infection was associated with hematological (p=0.021) and liver disorders (p=0.05), while digestive and skin disorders were associated with drug allergy and use of phytotherapy (p<0.05). Conclusion. Adverse effects of tuberculosis treatment are not uncommon and require rigorous clinical and biological monitoring to reduce treatment-related mortality and morbidity