Adverse Drug Reactions due to Antitubercular Therapy in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Meghalaya, India

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is typically defined as TB caused by organisms resistant to rifampicin and isoniazid. Due to the extended course of treatment and frequent use of second-line medications, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the most important clinical problems in MDR-TB. To avoid therapeutic failure, physicians must promptly detect and treat ADRs to second-line antitubercular therapy to improve patient compliance. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the various types of ADRs related to MDR-TB therapy. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted among MDR-TB patients admitted during the period of April 2018 toDecember 2018. All eligible patients participated in the study once institutional ethics approved it. A pre-structured pro forma form was used to gather baseline and patient-specific information. The ADR reporting form was completed with all pertinent data pertaining to ADRs. Data collected from standard pro forma were entered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: Among the patients, 62% were male, and 38% were female. There were 54 recorded ADRs, with a greater percentage of females (57%). ADRs related to the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting and nausea) accounted for 33% of cases, with diarrhea coming in second at 6% and psychiatric disorders at 6%. While 69% of the ADRs were classified as “mild-level 1,” the majority (65%) were classified as “possible.” In addition, it was discovered that 42.8% of ADR patients needed their medication to be stopped or their course of therapy to be changed. Conclusion: Aggressive and proactive management of ADRs and infection control are all necessary to improve outcomes in MDR-TB.