Time to sputum culture conversion and associated factors in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Southwestern Oromia, Ethiopia: a ten-year retrospective follow-up study

The median time to initial sputum culture conversion was 62 days, which was lower than the 4-month threshold considered a potential indicator of treatment failure according to the World Health Organization. MDR/RR-TB patients with HIV coinfection, higher baseline smear grades and those on longer treatment regimens were shown to have a delayed time to culture conversion. Attention should be given to these patients during their MDR/RR-TB treatment course to reduce delays in culture conversion and improve treatment outcomes.