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Outcomes of tuberculosis treatment: a retrospective cohort analysis of smoking versus non-smoking patients in Penang, Malaysia

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Abstract

Background

The association between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis (TB) is increasingly coming to light and the literature is laden with the evidence of this association. However, only a few observational studies specifically investigated the association between smoking and TB treatment outcomes.

Aim and methods

The present study aims to determine the prevalence of smoking among TB patients in Penang and to compare the treatment outcomes between smoking and non-smoking TB patients. A retrospective estimate of smoking prevalence among patients with TB and a retrospective cohort study comparing smoking and non-smoking TB patients with regards to treatment outcomes was conducted. The data were extracted from medical records of newly diagnosed TB patients who registered at a chest clinic at a tertiary care hospital in the state of Penang, Malaysia from January 2006 to June 2008.

Results

The prevalence of ever-smoking among TB patients was 53.4%. Smoking was significantly associated with male gender, alcohol use, and intravenous drug use (IVDU). Ever smokers had increased likelihood of treatment failure (OR 7.48), default (OR 7.17) and were less likely to be cured (OR 0.34). After controlling for the effects of confounders using multivariate logistic regression, ever smokers were still less likely to be cured (aOR 0.31) and more likely to default treatment (aOR 3.24). Dying from TB did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

Prevalence of smoking was high among TB patients in Malaysia. This study further reaffirms that smoking is an independent predictor of poor TB treatment outcomes and prognosis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the staff of the chest clinic at Penang General Hospital for their support in supplying the data of this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia

    Juman Abdulelah Dujaili, Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman, Ahmed Awaisu & Ali Qais Blebil

  2. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Penang Hospital, Jalan Residensi, 10990, Penang, Malaysia

    Abdul Razak Muttalif

Authors
  1. Juman Abdulelah Dujaili
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  2. Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman
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  3. Ahmed Awaisu
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  4. Abdul Razak Muttalif
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  5. Ali Qais Blebil
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juman Abdulelah Dujaili.

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Dujaili, J.A., Syed Sulaiman, S.A., Awaisu, A. et al. Outcomes of tuberculosis treatment: a retrospective cohort analysis of smoking versus non-smoking patients in Penang, Malaysia. J Public Health 19, 183–189 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-010-0365-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-010-0365-3

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