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Volume 27, Number 3—March 2021
CME ACTIVITY - Research

Effectiveness of Preventive Therapy for Persons Exposed at Home to Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Karachi, Pakistan

Amyn A. MalikComments to Author , Neel R. Gandhi, Timothy L. Lash, Lisa M. Cranmer, Saad B. Omer, Junaid F. Ahmed, Sara Siddiqui, Farhana Amanullah, Aamir J. Khan, Salmaan Keshavjee, Hamidah Hussain1, and Mercedes C. Becerra1
Author affiliations: Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (A.A. Malik, N.R. Gandhi, T.L. Lash); Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA (A.A. Malik, S.B. Omer); Global Health Directorate, Indus Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan (A.A. Malik, J.F. Ahmed, S. Siddiqui); Interactive Research and Development, Singapore (A.A. Malik, A.J. Khan, H. Hussain); Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (N.R. Gandhi, L.M. Cranmer); Emory + Children’s Pediatric Institute, Atlanta (L.M. Cranmer); The Indus Hospital, Karachi (F. Amanullah); Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (A.J. Khan, S. Keshavjee, M.C. Becerra); Partners In Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (S. Keshavjee, M.C. Becerra); Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston (S. Keshavjee, M.C. Becerra)

Main Article

Table 3

Demographics and clinical characteristics of household contacts exposed to drug-resistant tuberculosis free of disease at baseline in study of preventive therapy in Karachi, Pakistan, February 2016–March 2017*

Characteristic No. (%) or median [IQR]
Total, n = 789† On PT, n = 172 Did not start PT, n = 43 Not eligible for PT, n = 574
Age group, y 19 [10–32] 7 [3–15] 16 [3–22] 24 [15–36]
<15 283 (36) 128 (74) 21 (49) 134 (23)
>15
506 (64)
 44 (26)
 22 (51)
 440 (77)
Sex
M 423 (54) 91 (53) 20 (47) 312 (54)
F
 366 (46)
 81 (47)
 23 (53)
 262 (46)
BMI, kg/m2
 18.1 [14.8–24.0], n = 616
 14.8 [13.4–16.9], n = 171
 15.2 [13.4–16.9], n = 42
 21.6 [17.1–26.0], n = 403
Presence of symptoms n = 737 n = 172 n = 43 n = 522
Cough, duration 10 (1) 3 (2) 2 (5) 5 (1)
Fever 7 (1) 1 (1) 3 (7) 3 (1)
Weight loss
 12 (2)
 1 (1)
 2 (5)
 9 (2)
Additional TB risk factors n = 737 n = 172 n = 43 n = 522
History of TB 9 (1) 0 (0) 0 (0) 9 (2)
TST >5 mm 6/136 (4) 6/64 (9) 0/11 (0) 0/61 (0)
Index patient resistant to FQ
 138 (19)
 16 (9)
 11 (26)
 111 (21)
Regimen given
Levofloxacin/ethambutol NA 102 (59) NA NA
Levofloxacin/ethionamide NA 54 (31) NA NA
Moxifloxacin/ethambutol NA 11 (6) NA NA
Moxifloxacin/ethionamide
 NA
 5 (3)
 NA
 NA
TB disease occurred during follow-up
 2 (0.3)
 2 (1)
 0
0
*FQ, fluoroquinolone; NA, not applicable; PT, preventive therapy; TB, tuberculosis; TST, tuberculin skin test.
†Excluding 3 contacts found to have TB and 8 already on treatment for TB at time of screening.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: January 11, 2021
Page updated: February 19, 2021
Page reviewed: February 19, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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