Outcome of COVID-19 in Children With Tuberculosis: Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in children and adolescents with tuberculosis. METHODS: We analyzed hospital records for the period May, 2020 to September, 2021 for children who were severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive or SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive. They were divided into two groups viz., those with tuberculosis (tuberculosis group) and those without tuberculosis (non-TB group). Demographic information, symptoms, and outcomes of COVID-19 were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Median (IQR) age of participants was 11 (8,14) and 4.5 (2,9) year for the tuberculosis and non-TB groups, respectively. 93.5% and 36.1% of children were asymptomatic in the tuberculosis and non-TB group, respectively. No variable in the study was significantly associated with COVID-19 positivity in children with tuberculosis. No difference was found in the outcomes of COVID-19 infection in children having tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: No differences were noted in the outcomes of COVID-19 infection in children having tuberculosis.

Drug Resistance in Children with Central Nervous System Tuberculosis from a Tertiary Care Center in Mumbai.

INTRODUCTION: Central Nervous System tuberculosis (CNS-TB) is the most lethal form of extra-pulmonary TB, especially in children. In this study, we have discussed patterns of drug resistance in pediatric CNS-TB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study conducted on 100 children at a tertiary care center. Diagnosed cases of CNS-TB were enrolled. GeneXpert MTB/RIF was used upfront for diagnosis, and in cases where TB MGIT culture was positive, a phenotypic Drug Susceptibility Test (DST) was done. Patients were divided into resistant to at least one drug (DR) and drug-susceptible (DS). Various parameters were compared between these groups. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 5.84 ± 3.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.08 : 1; 14% of children had drug-resistant CNS TB (DR-CNS-TB). A higher proportion of children previously treated for TB were associated with drug resistance (p = 0.009), and those with disseminated TB also had a higher drug resistance (p = 0.002). Apart from this, the DR and DS groups had no statistically significant differences in demographic, clinical or epidemiological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Previous history of being treated for TB and disseminated TB was an independent risk factor for DR-CNS-TB. Ensuring proper adherence and compliance to anti-tubercular treatment could help in preventing the emergence of DR TB.