Cigarette smoke is a risk factor for severity and treatment outcome in patients with culture-positive tuberculosis
Objective: Smoking has been associated with tuberculosis (TB); however, the effects of smoking on the effectiveness of TB treatment remain unclear.
Materials and methods: Data were retrieved from
case notes and interviews of subjects registered in the
TB-reporting system from 2010 to 2012. Study cases were defined
as subjects with TB-positive sputum cultures, whereas the
controls were defined as subjects with non-TB-related pulmonary
diseases. Statistical analyses included logistic regression and
multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models.
Results: A total of 245 cases with cultures positive for TB and 114 controls with non-TB-related pulmonary diseases and negative sputum cultures were recruited. Current smokers had the highest failure rate (33%) for TB treatment, and they had the most severe pulmonary lesions based on chest X-ray grading. Current smokers had a 1.36-fold (95% confidence interval 1.03–2.36, P<0.05) higher odds ratio for cultures positive for TB compared with nonsmokers. In subjects with TB-positive cultures, current smoking was associated with an increase in treatment days required for cultures to convert from positive to negative (hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.39; P<0.05).
Conclusion: Longer periods of treatment may be required for TB patients who are current smokers.
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Source:
Dove Medical Press
