Treatment success and related factors of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Aceh referral hospital

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top ten causes of mortality worldwide. It is caused by a single infectious agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Indonesia has the second highest cases globally and has a high burden of rifampicin-resistant (RR-TB). Xpert MTB/RIF has been used as a frontline test to detect RR-TB to improve treatment efficacy. Objective: This study aims to summarise the bacteriologic conversion rate as the patient’s cured hallmark and related factors among adults confirmed to have pulmonary tuberculosis in a referral hospital in Aceh Province. Method: The authors assessed 1,244 bacteriologic test results of sputum samples from TB presumptive patients from January 1st to December 31st 2018, in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory and evaluated bacteriologic conversion. Result: There were 361 bacteriologic-confirmed TB diagnoses, where 43 (11.9%) were RR-TB. Most TB patients (26.3%) were in close contact with active TB patients. Conclusion: The study showed TB patients' low follow-up rate and bacteriologic conversion. The high prevalence of TB among close contacts suggests a need for constant surveillance of this high-risk group to end the TB epidemic. Male, young adult, and Aceh Besar residents have observed factors in sputum conversion results.