1
|
Meghji J, Msukwa-Panje W, Mkutumula E, Kamchedzera W, Banda NPK, MacPherson P, Engel N. Respiratory symptoms after TB treatment completion: A qualitative study of patient and provider experiences in urban Blantyre, Malawi. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0003436. [PMID: 39331642 PMCID: PMC11433068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) survivors experience a high burden of residual and recurrent respiratory symptoms after TB treatment completion. However, guidelines for the investigation and care of symptomatic TB-survivors are limited. We used qualitative methods to explore patient and provider understandings, experience and practice around respiratory symptoms in the post-TB period. We conducted in-depth interviews with PTB-survivors who had experienced respiratory symptoms (cough, chest pain, breathlessness) after successful TB treatment completion in Blantyre, Malawi (n = 23). We completed focus group discussions with TB-Officers (n = 12), and in-depth interviews with health care workers (n = 18) from primary and tertiary health facilities. Interviews were conducted in Chichewa, and thematic analysis was used to identify common themes. Our data highlight that TB survivors have negative experiences of respiratory symptoms after TB treatment completion, with anxiety about the cause of symptoms, uncertainty about if and how to return to care, and fear of recurrent TB disease. Our findings suggest four critical practices which shape this experience including: limited counselling at TB treatment completion; the lack of clear health seeking pathways to return to care; the use of TB-focused investigations for those returning to care; and heterogeneous approaches to TB retreatment decisions. This study highlights that the post-TB period is a critical part of the patient's experience of TB disease. Current practices create a negative patient experience, and carry clinical and public health risks including delayed diagnosis of TB relapse, missed diagnosis of cardio-respiratory disease, and misuse of antimicrobials and TB retreatment. Formative guidelines are needed to improve the care of symptomatic TB-survivors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamilah Meghji
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Ndaziona P. K. Banda
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Blantyre, Malawi
- Department of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Peter MacPherson
- School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Engel
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Can MH, Sweeney S, Allwood BW, Dorman SE, Cohen T, Menzies NA. Implications of progressive lung damage and post-TB sequelae for the health benefits of prompt TB diagnosis in high HIV prevalence settings: a mathematical modeling analysis. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.08.12.24311198. [PMID: 39185536 PMCID: PMC11343246 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.12.24311198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Background Untreated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) causes ongoing lung damage, which may persist after treatment. Conventional approaches for assessing TB health effects may not fully capture these mechanisms. We evaluated how TB-associated lung damage and post-TB sequalae affect the lifetime health consequences of TB in high HIV prevalence settings. Methods We developed a microsimulation model representing dynamic changes in lung function for individuals evaluated for TB in routine clinical settings. We parameterized the model with data for Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and estimated lifetime health outcomes under prompt, delayed, and no TB treatment scenarios. We compared results to earlier modelling approaches that omit progressive lung damage and post-TB sequelae. Findings We estimated 4.6 (95% uncertainty interval 3.4-5.8), 7.2 (5.1-9.6), and 18.0 (15.1-20.0) year reductions in life expectancy due to TB under prompt, delayed, and no treatment scenarios, respectively. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from TB were estimated as 8.3 (6.2-10.6), 12.6 (9.0-17.0), and 27.8 (24.1-30.6) under prompt, delayed, and no treatment scenarios, respectively. Post-TB DALYs represented 9-53% of total DALYs. Modelling approaches that omit progressive lung damage and post-TB sequelae underestimated lifetime health losses of TB by 48-57%, and underestimated the benefits of prompt treatment by 45-64%. Interpretation Delayed initiation of TB treatment causes greater lung damage and higher mortality risks during and after the disease episode. In settings with co-prevalent TB and HIV, accounting for these factors substantially increased estimates of the lifetime disease burden and life expectancy loss caused by TB. Funding NIH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melike Hazal Can
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sedona Sweeney
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Brian W. Allwood
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Ted Cohen
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicolas A. Menzies
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mbanje C, Kuhn I, Musakwa N, Calvi M, Boccia D, Muhwa JC, Mvusi L, Jaramillo E, Evans D, Meghji J. A scoping review of interventions to address TB associated respiratory disability. EClinicalMedicine 2024; 73:102646. [PMID: 38846067 PMCID: PMC11154123 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of data describing a high burden of respiratory morbidity amongst pulmonary TB patients and survivors, with up to half thought to experience residual respiratory symptoms, abnormal spirometry, or structural pathology after TB treatment completion. Many patients experiencing marked impacts on their lives and livelihoods. However, there remain no guidelines or evidence-based frameworks for integrated TB-respiratory care during or post TB treatment completion. In this scoping review, completed in collaboration with the WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme, we have identified a lack of primary data on the clinical efficacy, cost effectiveness or feasibility of six potential interventions for the prevention and management of TB-associated respiratory impairment and disability, with a lack of studies in children and adolescents. There is a need for robust interventional trials to improve the long-term respiratory outcomes of people affected by pulmonary TB disease, and to explore how these might be implemented within resource-limited settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Mbanje
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Isla Kuhn
- Cambridge University Medical Library, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nozipho Musakwa
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Marzia Calvi
- Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Delia Boccia
- Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jeremiah Chakaya Muhwa
- Department of Medicine, Therapeutics, Dermatology and Psychiatry, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lindiwe Mvusi
- National Department of Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Denise Evans
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jamilah Meghji
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nkereuwem E, Agbla S, Njai B, Edem VF, Jatta ML, Owolabi O, Masterton U, Jah F, Danso M, Fofana AN, Samateh W, Darboe ML, Owusu SA, Bush A, Kampmann B, Togun T. Post-tuberculosis respiratory impairment in Gambian children and adolescents: A cross-sectional analysis. Pediatr Pulmonol 2024; 59:1912-1921. [PMID: 38629432 DOI: 10.1002/ppul.27009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) is a known consequence of pulmonary tuberculosis (pTB), few studies have reported the prevalence and spectrum of PTLD in children and adolescents. METHODS Children and adolescent (≤19 years) survivors of pTB in the Western Regions of The Gambia underwent a respiratory symptom screening, chest X-ray (CXR) and spirometry at TB treatment completion. Variables associated with lung function impairment were identified through logistic regression models. RESULTS Between March 2022 and July 2023, 79 participants were recruited. The median age was 15.6 years (IQR: 11.8, 17.9); the majority, 53/79 (67.1%), were treated for bacteriologically confirmed pTB, and 8/79 (10.1%) were children and adolescents living with HIV. At pTB treatment completion, 28/79 (35.4%) reported respiratory symptoms, 37/78 (47.4%) had radiological sequelae, and 45/79 (57.0%) had abnormal spirometry. The most common respiratory sequelae were cough (21/79, 26.6%), fibrosis on CXR (22/78, 28.2%), and restrictive spirometry (41/79, 51.9%). Age at TB diagnosis over ten years, undernutrition and fibrosis on CXR at treatment completion were significantly associated with abnormal spirometry (p = .050, .004, and .038, respectively). CONCLUSION Chronic respiratory symptoms, abnormal CXR, and impaired lung function are common and under-reported consequences of pTB in children and adolescents. Post-TB evaluation and monitoring may be necessary to improve patient outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esin Nkereuwem
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Schadrac Agbla
- Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Bintou Njai
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Victory Fabian Edem
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Muhammed Lamin Jatta
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Olumuyiwa Owolabi
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Uma Masterton
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Fatoumatta Jah
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Madikoi Danso
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Aunty Nyima Fofana
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Wandifa Samateh
- National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control Programme, Kanifing, The Gambia
| | | | - Sheila Ageiwaa Owusu
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Andrew Bush
- Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London - Royal Brompton Campus, London, UK
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Beate Kampmann
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Charité Centre for Global Health, Institute of International Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Toyin Togun
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- TB Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Meghji J, Gunsaru V, Chinoko B, Joekes E, Banda NPK, Marozva N, Rylance J, Squire SB, Mortimer K, Lesosky M. Screening for post-TB lung disease at TB treatment completion: Are symptoms sufficient? PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0002659. [PMID: 38285713 PMCID: PMC10824425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary TB survivors face a high burden of post-TB lung disease (PTLD) after TB treatment completion. In this secondary data analysis we investigate the performance of parameters measured at TB treatment completion in predicting morbidity over the subsequent year, to inform programmatic approaches to PTLD screening in low-resource settings. Cohort data from urban Blantyre, Malawi were used to construct regression models for five morbidity outcomes (chronic respiratory symptoms or functional limitation, ongoing health seeking, spirometry decline, self-reported financial impact of TB disease, and death) in the year after PTB treatment, using three modelling approaches: logistic regression; penalised regression with pre-selected predictors; elastic net penalised regression using the full parent dataset. Predictors included demographic, clinical, symptom, spirometry and chest x-ray variables. The predictive performance of models were examined using the area under the receiver-operator curve (ROC AUC) values. Key predictors were identified, and their positive and negative predictive values (NPV) determined. The presence of respiratory symptoms at TB treatment completion was the strongest predictor of morbidity outcomes. TB survivors reporting breathlessness had higher odds of spirometry decline (aOR 20.5, 95%CI:3-199.1), health seeking (aOR 10.2, 2.4-50), and symptoms or functional limitation at 1-year (aOR 16.7, 3.3-133.4). Those reporting activity limitation were more likely to report symptoms or functional limitation at 1-year (aOR 4.2, 1.8-10.3), or severe financial impact of TB disease (aOR2.3, 1.0-5.0). Models were not significantly improved by including spirometry or imaging parameters. ROC AUCs were between 0.65-0.77 for the morbidity outcomes. Activity limitation at treatment completion had a NPV value of 78-98% for adverse outcomes. Our data suggest that whilst challenging to predict the development of post-TB morbidity, the use of symptom screening tools at TB treatment completion to prioritise post-TB care should be explored. We identified little benefit from the additional use of spirometry or CXR imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamilah Meghji
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vester Gunsaru
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Beatrice Chinoko
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Elizabeth Joekes
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ndaziona P. K. Banda
- Department of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Nicola Marozva
- Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Stephen B. Squire
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Mortimer
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Liverpool University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Maia Lesosky
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|