INCIDENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG PATIENTS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA RECEIVING TREATMENT WITH METERED DOSE CORTICOSTEROID BY INHALATION

Abstract

Rinky Thakur1, Prashant Kumar Verma2

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and pattern of tuberculosis in bronchial asthma patients receiving inhalational corticosteroid therapy by MDI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-four patients taking MDI steroid for bronchial asthma and seventy-eight patients suffering from similar disease but not receiving MDI steroids were followed up for twenty months to study the incidence and pattern of tuberculosis. RESULTS Five patients (5.5%) receiving MDI steroid developed tuberculosis as against none among the control (p<0.05). Out of five patients, who developed tuberculosis, two developed sputum smear positive pulmonary disease, one had sputum smear negative disease and two had extra pulmonary tuberculosis in form of pleural effusion and gland tuberculosis one each. All patients were treated with standard antituberculous therapy using RNTCP guidelines and all patients recovered from the disease. CONCLUSION Inhalational corticosteroid in the form of MDI causes a significant risk of incidence of tuberculosis.

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