Sharma, Surendra KGeorge, NinooKadhiravan, TamilarasuSaha, Pradip KMishra, Hemant KHanif, Mahmud2011-12-152011-12-152009-10Sharma Surendra K, George Ninoo, Kadhiravan Tamilarasu, Saha Pradip K, Mishra Hemant K, Hanif Mahmud. Prevalence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a retrospective hospital-based study. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2009 Oct; 130(4): 392-395.http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/135909Background & objective: Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is a difficult-to-treat form of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). High rates of XDR-TB have been reported from India. We sought to ascertain the prevalence of XDR-TB among patients with MDR-TB treated at a tertiary care centre in New Delhi, India. Methods: Case records of patients treated for MDR-TB at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital, New Delhi, between 1997 and 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent a pretreatment drug-susceptibility testing (DST) to first- as well as second-line drugs. XDR-TB was defined as TB caused by bacilli showing resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid in addition to any fluoroquinolone and to at least one of the three following injectable drugs: capreomycin, kanamycin, and amikacin. Results: A total of 211 laboratory-confirmed cases of MDR-TB were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 33 ± 12 yr. Fifty one (24%) patients were females. All patients were sero-negative for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Five of the 211 MDR-TB patients had XDR-TB. The prevalence of XDR-TB was 2.4 per cent among MDR-TB patients. Interpretation & conclusion: Our results showed that XDR-TB was rare among patients with MDR-TB treated between 1997 and 2003 at our centre. Unreported selection bias might have been responsible for the high prevalence of XDR-TB reported in previous hospital-based studies from India.enDrug resistanceextensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB)Indiamultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)tuberculosisAdultAntitubercular Agents --therapeutic useExtensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis --drug therapyExtensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis --epidemiologyFemaleHospitalsHumansIndia --epidemiologyMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeTuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant --drug therapyTuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant --epidemiologyYoung AdultArticle