Higher mortality rate amongst multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients with non-standard treatment: A long-term follow-up study in Wuhan, China

Our results showed the high mortality rate of MDR-TB patients with non-standard treatment. However, the survival rate of patients with defaulted treatment can be greatly improved even if they do not receive complete treatment. This emphasizes the need for active treatment. However, the lower survival rate observed in treatment failure patients may be partially attributed to psychological distress and stigma, which are well-documented factors affecting treatment adherence and quality of life in tuberculosis patients. This shows that there is an urgent need to strengthen patients' understanding of the disease and adequate mental health education after diagnosis.