Reduction of diagnostic and treatment delays reduces rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis mortality in Rwanda

J-C S. Ngabonziza, Y. M. Habimana, T. Decroo, P. Migambi, A. Dushime, J. B. Mazarati, L. Rigouts, D. Affolabi, E. Ivan, C. J. Meehan, A. Van Deun, K. Fissette, Habiyambere, A. U. Nyaruhirira, Innocent Turate, J. M. Semahore, N. Ndjeka, C. M. Muvunyi, J. U. Condo, M. GasanaE. Hasker, G. Torrea, B. C. de Jong

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Abstract

SETTING: In 2005, in response to the increasing prevalence of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR -TB) and poor treatment outcomes, Rwanda initiated the programmatic management of RR-TB, including expanded access to systematic rifampicin drug suscep-tibility testing (DST) and standardised treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in diagnostic and treatment delays and estimate their effect on RR-TB mortality.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of individual-level data including 748 (85.4%) of 876 patients diagnosed with RR-TB notified to the World Health Organization between 1 July 2005 and 31 December 2016 in Rwanda. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of diagnostic and therapeutic delays on RR-TB mortality.

RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2016, the median diag-nostic delay significantly decreased from 88 days to 1 day, and the therapeutic delay from 76 days to 3 days. Simultaneously, RR-TB mortality significantly de-creased from 30.8% in 2006 to 6.9% in 2016. Total delay in starting multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) treatment of more than 100 days was associated with more than two-fold higher odds for dying. When delays were long, empirical RR-TB treatment initiation was associated with a lower mortality.

CONCLUSION: The reduction of diagnostic and treat-ment delays reduced RR-TB mortality. We anticipate that universal testing for RR-TB, short diagnostic and therapeutic delays and effective standardised MDR-TB treatment will further decrease RR-TB mortality in Rwanda.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Volume24
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)329-339
Number of pages12
ISSN1027-3719
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • TB
  • Rwanda
  • MDR-TB programmatic management
  • MDR-TB diagnosis
  • MDR-TB treatment
  • XPERT MTB/RIF
  • DRUG-RESISTANCE
  • IMPACT
  • OUTCOMES
  • SPREAD
  • TIME
  • COST

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