Evaluation of Antimicrobial Re sistance of New Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, in Khorasan, Iran

Background: Multi drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an infection with a causative bacillus which is resistant to at least two drugs, isoniazid and rifampin. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of TB resistance to first-line drugs of newly diagnosed active pulmonary tuberculosis.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 77 patients with newly diagnosed active pulmonary tuberculosis (according to national protocols of TB). Sputum samples were cultured and antibiogram for isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and Streptomycin were performed on the positive cultures.
Results: From 77 patients with tuberculosis, 48 cases have positive sputum culture. Antibiogram was done by proportional standard method and all samples were found to be fully sensitive to all first-line TB drugs.
Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the primary resistance was low to the first-line drugs for pulmonary tuberculosis of the samples collected from Khorasan, an east province of Iran. The data showed that in all patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis who were diagnosed with Ziehl–Neelsen stain of sputum, the use of the first-line drugs for tuberculosis treatment is necessary and could be sufficient.