Outcomes of bedaquiline-containing regimen in the treatment of adults with drug-resistant tuberculosis in a tertiary care center in Rajasthan

The emergence of drug -resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has become a significant public health problem and has led to a setback in the efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. The longer duration, heavier pill load, and higher toxicity profile of drug -resistant TB regimens compared to those for drugsusceptible TB lead to reduced adherence and worse treatment results, including mortality. This study was conducted to estimate treatment outcomes and adverse effects in patients with drugresistant TB on a bedaquiline-containing regimen. Patients after the pre-treatment evaluation were enrolled in a bedaquiline-containing regimen. These patients were followed up for 18 months, and the final outcome was assessed along with the adverse effects. It was found that 49 (84.4%) patients achieved culture conversion by 3 months, 54 (93.1%) achieved culture conversion by 6 months, 52 (83.81%) had favorable outcomes (cured, treatment completed), and 10 had unfavorable outcomes (died, lost to follow-up, failed). Coupled with gradually increasing trends in success rates since 2012, lesser failure rates and fewer concerns regarding grave adverse effects are a silver lining in the cloud of increasing burden and widening resistance patterns. More funding has to be directed towards ensuring adherence and finding high -risk individuals to expedite the achievement of sustainable development goals.