Factors Associated with the Abandonment of Tuberculosis Treatment in Brazil: A Systematic Review

Predictive factors for hospital self-discharge in tuberculosis admissions in the state of Rio de Janeiro, from 2011-2018: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To assess factors associated with hospital self-discharge of patients with tuberculosis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2011-2018.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study in a referral hospital. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics were compared according to hospitalization outcome (self-discharge, formal discharge, or death). Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the association of self-discharge with explanatory variables were estimated using Cox regression.

RESULTS

Of the 1429 hospitalizations, 10.4% ended in self-discharge. Female sex (HR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.03;2.11), age ≤ 42 years (HR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.38; 2.93), substance use (HR = 1.62; 95%CI 1.12; 2.34), hospitalization after treatment dropout (HR = 2.04; 95%CI 1.37; 3.04), and homelessness (HR = 2.5; 95%CI 1.69; 3.69) were associated with self-discharge.

CONCLUSION

Patients with social vulnerability require more careful monitoring during hospitalization.

MAIN RESULTS

Homeless people, illicit drug use, female sex and history of dropout from previous treatment showed association with hospital self-discharge in patients with tuberculosis admitted to a reference hospital in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES

Need for more comprehensive support for vulnerable patients, in addition to promoting treatment adherence and training health professionals to deal with the complex psychosocial issues related to tuberculosis.

PERSPECTIVES

It is crucial to develop public policies that consider social factors in tuberculosis management, as well as promoting cooperation and multisectoral approaches to address both tuberculosis and underlying social issues.

Predictors of unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Brazil: an analysis of 259,484 patient records

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) causes over 1 million deaths annually. Providing effective treatment is a key strategy for reducing TB deaths. In this study, we identified factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes among individuals treated for TB in Brazil.

METHODS

We obtained data on individuals treated for TB between 2015 and 2018 from Brazil's National Disease Notification System (SINAN). We excluded patients with a history of prior TB disease or with diagnosed TB drug resistance. We extracted information on patient-level factors potentially associated with unsuccessful treatment, including demographic and social factors, comorbid health conditions, health-related behaviors, health system level at which care was provided, use of directly observed therapy (DOT), and clinical examination results. We categorized treatment outcomes as successful (cure, completed) or unsuccessful (death, regimen failure, loss to follow-up). We fit multivariate logistic regression models to identify factors associated with unsuccessful treatment.

RESULTS

Among 259,484 individuals treated for drug susceptible TB, 19.7% experienced an unsuccessful treatment outcome (death during treatment 7.8%, regimen failure 0.1%, loss to follow-up 11.9%). The odds of unsuccessful treatment were higher with older age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.90 [95% confidence interval: 2.62-3.21] for 85-100-year-olds vs. 25-34-year-olds), male sex (aOR 1.28 [1.25-1.32], vs. female sex), Black race (aOR 1.23 [1.19-1.28], vs. White race), no education (aOR 2.03 [1.91-2.17], vs. complete high school education), HIV infection (aOR 2.72 [2.63-2.81], vs. no HIV infection), illicit drug use (aOR 1.95 [1.88-2.01], vs. no illicit drug use), alcohol consumption (aOR 1.46 [1.41-1.50], vs. no alcohol consumption), smoking (aOR 1.20 [1.16-1.23], vs. non-smoking), homelessness (aOR 3.12 [2.95-3.31], vs. no homelessness), and immigrant status (aOR 1.27 [1.11-1.45], vs. non-immigrants). Treatment was more likely to be unsuccessful for individuals treated in tertiary care (aOR 2.20 [2.14-2.27], vs. primary care), and for patients not receiving DOT (aOR 2.35 [2.29-2.41], vs. receiving DOT).

CONCLUSION

The risk of unsuccessful TB treatment varied systematically according to individual and service-related factors. Concentrating clinical attention on individuals with a high risk of poor treatment outcomes could improve the overall effectiveness of TB treatment in Brazil.

Factors associated with loss to follow-up in tuberculosis treatment in Brazil: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the factors associated with loss to follow-up in tuberculosis cases among adults in Brazil in 2020 and 2021.

METHOD

Retrospective cohort with secondary data from the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System. A total of 24,344 people diagnosed with tuberculosis whose information was complete in the database were included. Adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals were estimated by binary logistic regression.

RESULTS

Higher odds of loss to follow-up were observed for males, non-white ethnicity/color, with lower education level, homeless or deprived of liberty, who used drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco, with admission due to recurrence or re-entry after abandonment, and with unknown or positive serology for HIV. On the other hand, older age, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, deprivation of libertyand supervised treatment were associated with lower odds of loss to follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Demographic, socioeconomic and clinical-epidemiological factors were associated with the loss to follow-up in tuberculosis cases, which reiterates the various vulnerabilities intertwined with the illness and treatment of this disease. Therefore, there is a need to promote strategies aimed at adherence and linkage to the care for groups most vulnerable to loss to follow-up in tuberculosis treatment in Brazil.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Trap: The Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causes tuberculosis (TB), a disease that causes pulmonary inflammation but can also affect other tissues. Despite macrophages having a defined role in TB immunopathogenesis, other innate immune cells, such as neutrophils, are involved in this process. These cells have high phagocytic ability and a microbial-killing machine comprised of enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, and reactive oxygen species. In the last two decades, a new neutrophil immune response, the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), has been intensely researched. NETs comprise DNA associated with histones, enzymes, and antimicrobial peptides. These structures are related to antimicrobial immune response and some immuno-pathogenesis mechanisms. This mini review highlights the role of NETs in tuberculosis and how they can be helpful as a diagnostic tool and/or therapeutic target.