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Clinical Trial
. 2013 Feb;17(2):225-8.
doi: 10.5588/ijtld.12.0426.

Smoking and 2-month culture conversion during anti-tuberculosis treatment

E L Maciel  1 , A P Brioschi, R L Peres, L M Guidoni, F K Ribeiro, D J Hadad, S A Vinhas, E Zandonade, M Palaci, R Dietze, J L Johnson
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Smoking and 2-month culture conversion during anti-tuberculosis treatment

E L Maciel et al. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2013 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate risk factors for delayed sputum culture conversion to negative during anti-tuberculosis treatment, with an emphasis on smoking.

Design: Nested case-control study of adults with non-cavitary, culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) participating in an anti-tuberculosis treatment trial in Brazil. A case of delayed culture conversion was a patient who remained culture-positive after 2 months of treatment. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results: Fifty-three cases and 240 control patients were analyzed. Smokers had three-fold greater odds of remaining culture-positive after 2 months of treatment (P = 0.007) than non-smokers, while smokers and ex-smokers who smoked >20 cigarettes a day had two-fold greater odds of remaining culture-positive after 2 months of treatment (P = 0.045).

Conclusion: Cigarette smoking adversely affects culture conversion during anti-tuberculosis treatment. Support for smoking cessation should be considered to improve outcomes in TB control programs.

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