Strengthening Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Epidemiological Surveillance in Rio de Janeiro: a multidimensional analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to reinforce the importance of the epidemiological surveillance of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Rio de Janeiro State (RJ). Here, we reviewed seven articles we published between 2018 and 2022. This study had two phases. The quantitative phase where frequency was used to describe patient characteristics and regressions were used to evaluate the relationship between treatment outcomes and covariates. The qualitative phase where content analysis of the narratives was performed. Secondary (electronic systems) and primary (semi-structured interviews) data were used. We analyzed 2,269 MDR-TB, 58.1% MDR-TB, and 18.6% extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) cases, of which 44.3% exhibited unfavorable outcomes. Among the 140 patients with XDR-TB, 29.3% had not undergone prior treatment for MDR-TB. The primary resistance rate in MDR-TB cases was 14.7%, revealing significant demographic and clinical disparities, particularly among women, Caucasians, and those with higher education levels. The number of cases increased from 7.69% in 2000 to 38.42% in 2018, showing an increasing trend (AAPC = 9.4; 95% CI 1.4−18.0, p < 0.001), with 25.4% underreporting. A qualitative study confirmed a high proportion of primary resistance (64.5%) and delayed diagnosis of MDR-TB. In RJ, the diagnostic and therapeutic cascade of MDR-TB must be improved using molecular tests to achieve an early diagnosis of resistance and immediate initiation of appropriate treatment, promote social protection for MDR/XDR-TB patients and their families, enhance TB contact tracing, establish and monitor hospital surveillance centers integrated with Primary Care, and unify various information systems through interoperability for better integration.

Keywords

• Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis
• Epidemiological Surveillance
• Health Information System
• Qualitative Research