Sputum Smears Conversion in Daily Versus Intermittent Treatment Regimen in New Sputum Smear Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients - A Retrospective Study
Authors: Bhise Dhondiba Haribhau 
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND Sputum smear conversion is the negative conversion of the sputum smear at the end of the second month of treatment regimen under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). When the acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear comes negative at the end of an intensive phase, the treatment regimen can shift to the continuation phase that indicates bacillary load is a minimum. Although some authors consider the conversion of cultures when the AFB smear is negative, two potent drugs in the continuation phase are sufficient to kill the remaining bacilli. The drug that can kill bacteria in the first 2 days of treatment is called early bactericidal activity (EBA). This can be assessed by the percentage of negative conversion of cultures at the end of the intensive phase of the treatment regimen. EBA is very essential because it reduces the transmission in the community and chances of patient death. When the purpose is to kill as many bacilli as possible in the first few days and weeks of treatment, it is very important to include bactericidal drugs in the treatment regimen so that it reduces the chances of patient death and infectiousness and the negative conversion of the cultures after 2-month treatment regimen is an indication of the bactericidal capacity of the drug. The purpose of this study was to compare sputum smear conversion in daily versus intermittent treatment regimens in diagnosed cases of new sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. METHODS This retrospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Respiratory medicine and nodal drug resistance tuberculosis centre (DR-TB) at the Government medical college and hospital, Akola. In this study, a total of 120 new patients were taken. 60 patients were given daily and intermittent regimens respectively under NTEP. RESULTS Out of 120 patients, 56 (93.33 %) patients in intermittent and 53 (88.33 %) patients in daily regimen were sputum smear-negative at the end of 2nd month (intensive phase) and at the end of 6th month (continuation phase). 1 patient (1.6 %) remained sputum smear-positive after the intensive phase. That patient was given 1 month of extension of anti-tuberculosis treatment (AKT) in the intensive phase and the patient became sputum negative after 1 month of extension. CONCLUSIONS It was concluded in this study, daily regimens and intermittent regimens were equally effective in negative conversion of the sputum smear at the end of the intensive phase and the end of the continuation phase. Negative conversion of the sputum smear is quite important because the bacillary load will be so low at the end of 2nd month that reduces the chances of patient death and transmission in the community. KEY WORDS Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB), Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB), National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP), Intensive Phase (IP), continuation Phase (CP), National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP).