Tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance Trends in a Chest Hospital: A 3-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis warrants sustained monitoring of TB prevalence and rifampicin resistance to support disease control and patient management. Aim: This study evaluated the trend in tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance among suspected patients attending a chest hospital over a three-year period (2023-2025). Methodology: A retrospective descriptive hospital-based design was used. Laboratory records of suspected tuberculosis patients were reviewed, and only records with complete documented results were included. Extracted data included age, sex, tuberculosis test result and rifampicin resistance status detected using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, confidence intervals and Chi-square testing, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Complete records for 4,508 suspected tuberculosis patients were reviewed. Of these, 811 patients (18.0%; 95% CI: 16.3-20.1) tested positive for tuberculosis, while 3,697 (82.0%) tested negative. Yearly tuberculosis positivity was 18.0% in 2023, 17.7% in 2024 and 18.2% in 2025, indicating a relatively stable pattern across the study period. Males had a slightly higher positivity rate than females, but tuberculosis positivity was not significantly associated with sex (χ² = 0.48, p = 0.489). Among the tuberculosis-positive patients, 766 (94.5%) were rifampicin-susceptible, 33 (4.1%) had indeterminate rifampicin resistance and 12 (1.5%; 95% CI: 0.8-2.6) were rifampicin-resistant. Confirmed rifampicin resistance remained low and showed no marked annual increase. Conclusion: Tuberculosis prevalence among suspected patients was stable during the three-year period, while confirmed rifampicin resistance was relatively low. Continued surveillance, timely diagnosis, treatment adherence and strengthened tuberculosis control remain important for limiting transmission and preventing further drug resistance.