DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS - THE EMERGING SCENARIO.

During the period April 1992 to September 1994 a total of 2288 patients of pulmonary tuberculosis were treated at our centre. M. tuberculosis could be isolated from the sputa of 1037 patients (45.3%). All the isolates were subjected to indirect susceptibility testing using drug incorporated Lowenstein-Jensen medium slants. A total of 142 (13.7%) patients showed drug resistance. Single drug resistance was observed in 86 (8.3%) patients whereas resistance to two or more drugs was observed in 56 (5.4%) patients. Patients showing initial drug resistance were more in number (83 cases) than those showing acquired drug resistance (59 cases). Resistance to streptomycin was commonest (8.3% of isolates) followed by isoniazid (5.7%) and rifampicin (5.0%). Multiple drug resistance was mostly acquired (71.4% of drug-resistant isolates).