Factors Influencing TB Treatment Outcomes in TB/HIV Co-Infected Patients in East Coast Malaysia

Strategic Insights -

A cross-sectional study conducted by researchers at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin has examined the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with different TB treatment outcomes among TB/HIV co-infected patients in East Coast Malaysia. The study utilized secondary data from the e-Notifikasi for Tuberculosis Information System (TBIS) from January 2016 to December 2020. The researchers analyzed the data using multinomial logistic regression with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 and STATA 14.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that 9.04% of TB cases in the region were TB/HIV co-infected patients, with 69 cases excluded from the analysis due to transfer, change of diagnosis, and ongoing treatment.
  • The prevalence of cured was 33.5% (410), completed was 29.2% (357), defaulted was 6.4% (78), and died was 30.9% (378) among TB/HIV co-infected patients.
  • In multivariate analysis, duration of treatment, diabetes mellitus, occupation, and Chest X-ray (CXR) status were substantially linked with treatment completion, while age, duration of treatment, residency, Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) status, case category, and CXR status significantly impacted treatment default.
  • The findings of the study suggest that understanding the factors influencing TB treatment outcomes is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies and enhancing patient outcomes.

Statistics:

  • 1,292 (9.04%) TB/HIV co-infected patients were identified out of 14,289 TB cases in the region.
  • 69 TB/HIV cases were excluded from the analysis due to transfer, change of diagnosis, and ongoing treatment.
  • The prevalence of cured was 33.5% (410), completed was 29.2% (357), defaulted was 6.4% (78), and died was 30.9% (378) among TB/HIV co-infected patients.
  • The study analyzed 1,223 TB/HIV co-infected patients over a 5-year period (2016-2020).

Sources:

  • Factors associated with treatment outcomes (cured, completed, defaulted, and death) among TB/HIV co-infected patients in East Coast Malaysia: A 5-year record review (2016-2020). BMC Infectious Diseases, 2025;25(1):1255.
  • NewsRx. Research from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Yields New Findings on HIV/AIDS [Factors associated with treatment outcomes (cured, completed, defaulted, and death) among TB/HIV co-infected patients in East Coast Malaysia: A 5-year record review ...]. AIDS Weekly. October 20, 2025; p 175.