Rizwan Iqbal, Iffat Shabbir, Nazir Mirza, Mumtaz Hasan.
TB drug resistance an alarming challenge - answer DOTS..
Pak J Med Res Jan ;42(3):134-8.

Tuberculosis (TB) control still faces major challenges in Pakistan. One of the maxims of tuberculosis (TB) control has been inadequate therapy which is worse than no therapy at all. It is established that incomplete corner of TB treatment would result in high rates of failure and rapid creation of drug resistance. A total of 678 confirmed isolates of mycobacterium tuberculosis were subjected to anti tuberculosis drug resistance. Five anti TB drugs were studied for drug sensitivity pattern. They include rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide,streptomycin and ethambutol. 53% of isolates were resistant to one or more anti tuberculosis drugs, resistance to rifampicin came out to be 28%, isoniazid 26%, streptomycin 24%, pyrazinamide 29%, ethambutol 15%, while resistance to MDR was 16%. Primary and acquired resistance was 20% and 33% for isoniazid,16% and 44%, for rifampicin, 18% and 32% for streptomycin, 19% and 39% for pyrazinamide, and 12% and 19% for ethambutol. Statistically significant difference was seen between primary and acquired resistance. It is seen that TB Control can be achieved with more focus on early case detection and prompt treatment. The global expansion of DOTS is now a days standard strategy for efficient control of TB .

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