Treatment delay and fatal outcomes of pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age: A retrospective nationwide cohort study
Journal
BMC Infectious Diseases
Journal Volume
17
Journal Issue
1
Pages
449
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Abstract
Background and objective: Studies focusing on pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age (?80 years) are lacking. This study aimed to explore treatment delay, outcomes and their predictors in this group. Methods: Adult (?20 years) patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2004 to 2009. Treatment completion and mortality rates were noted at one year after treatment. Results: Among the 81,081 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis identified, 13,923 (17.2%) were aged ?80 years, and 26,897 (33.2%) were aged 65-79 years. The treatment completion, mortality rates and treatment delay were 54.8%, 34.7% and 61 (12-128) [median, (1st-3rd quartiles)] days in patients aged ?80 years, 68.3%, 18.5% and 53 (8-122) days in patients aged 65-79 years, and 78.9%, 6.5% and 21 (1-84) days in patients aged <65 years, respectively. The elder patients were more likely to receive second-line anti-tuberculosis agents. The treatment completion rate decreased with older age, female sex, comorbidities, low income, requiring second-line anti-tuberculosis agents, severity of pulmonary tuberculosis and longer treatment delay. Older age, female sex, comorbidities, low income, and not undergoing rapid molecular diagnostic tests were independently associated with longer treatment delays. Conclusions: Pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age has a longer treatment delay and a higher mortality rate. Applying rapid molecular diagnostic tools may reduce treatment delay and should be integrated into the diagnostic algorithm for pulmonary tuberculosis, particularly in elderly patients. ? 2017 The Author(s).
Other Subjects
carbapenem; cephalosporin; macrolide; penicillin derivative; quinolone; tuberculostatic agent; adult; aged; aging; Article; cohort analysis; comorbidity; confounding variable; controlled study; disease severity; fatality; female; groups by age; human; independent variable; lowest income group; lung tuberculosis; major clinical study; male; mortality rate; predictor variable; retrospective study; sex difference; Taiwan; therapy delay; very elderly; young adult; age; epidemiology; middle aged; mortality; treatment outcome; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antitubercular Agents; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Taiwan; Treatment Outcome; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
Type
journal article