Arshad Javaid, Anila Basit, Zia Ullah, Abdul Ghafoor, Abdul Rab, Shaukat Ali, Afia Zafar, Rumina Hasan.
Primary drug resistance to antituberculous drugs in NWFP Pakistan.
J Pak Med Assoc Jan ;58(8):437-9.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of Primary drug resistance to Antituberculous drugs in NWFP Method: A cross-sectional prevalence study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of drug resistance among new TB patients, using a non-probability convenience sampling methodology. Sample size was calculated according to the population and WHO`s estimated incidence of smear positive tuberculosis in the province/country. Sputum samples were obtained from 122 newly diagnosed patients of pulmonary tuberculosis from centres in Peshawar and Abbotabad in NWFP. Results: Sensitivities were performed by proportion method which showed the following resistance values in 118 eligible patients: 15 (12.7 %) samples showed primary resistance to one or more drugs. 8 (6.4%) isolates were resistant to a single drug, 2 (1.6%) were resistant to 2 drugs, 4 (3.2%) to 3 drugs, 1 (0.8%) to 4 drugs while none to all 5 first line agents. Resistance to Streptomycin (10µg/ml) was seen in 7 (5.9%), Isoniazid (1µg/ml) in 10 (8.4%), Rifampicin (5µg/ml) in 3 (2.5%), Ethambutol (10µg/ml) in 2 (1.6%) and Pyrazinamide in 6 (5,0%) samples. Primary Multidrug resistance was 2.5%. Conclusion: This study suggests that prevalence of MDR amongst untreated patients in NWFP is 2.5%, which is a cause of concern and should be addressed through effective TB control programmes with DOTS strategy (JPMA 58:437;2008).

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