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Delivery of long-term-injectable agents for TB by lay carers: pragmatic randomised trial

Cohen, Danielle, Maheswaren, Hendramoorthy, Kuzani, Mbendera, Mavuto, Makaka, Mangochi, Helen, Phiri, Linna, Madan, Jason, Davies, Geraint, Corbett, Elizabeth and Squire, Bertie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7173-9038 (2019) 'Delivery of long-term-injectable agents for TB by lay carers: pragmatic randomised trial'. Thorax, Vol 75, pp. 64-71.

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Abstract

Background People with recurrent or drug-resistant TB require long courses of intramuscular injections. We evaluate a novel system in which patient-nominated lay carers were trained to deliver intramuscular injections to patients in their own homes.

Methods A pragmatic, individually randomised non-inferiority trial was conducted at two hospitals in Malawi. Adults starting TB retreatment were recruited. Patients randomised to the intervention received home-based care from patient-nominated lay people trained to deliver intramuscular streptomycin. Patients receiving standard care were admitted to hospital for 2 months of streptomycin. The primary outcome was successful treatment (alive and on treatment) at the end of the intervention.

Results Of 456 patients screened, 204 participants were randomised. The trial was terminated early due to futility. At the end of the intervention, 97/101 (96.0%) in the hospital arm were still alive and on treatment compared with 96/103 (93.2%) in the home-based arm (risk difference −0.03 (95% CI −0.09 to 0.03); p value 0.538). There were no differences in the proportion completing 8 months of anti-TB treatment; or the proportion experiencing 2-month sputum culture conversion. The mean cost of hospital-based management was US$1546.3 per person, compared to US$729.2 for home-based management. Home-based care reduced risk of catastrophic household costs by 84%.

Conclusions Although this trial failed to meet target recruitment, the available data demonstrate that training patient-nominated lay people has potential to provide a feasible solution to the operational challenges associated with delivering long-term-injectable drugs to people with recurrent or drug-resistant TB in resource-limited settings, and substantially reduce costs. Further data under operational conditions are required.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: QV Pharmacology > Anti-Inflammatory Agents. Anti-Infective Agents. Antineoplastic Agents > QV 268 Antitubercular agents. Antitubercular antibiotics
WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries
WF Respiratory System > Tuberculosis > WF 200 Tuberculosis (General)
WY Nursing > WY 100 General works on nursing procedures
Faculty: Department: Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-212675
Depositing User: Annmarie Hand
Date Deposited: 06 Jan 2020 15:56
Last Modified: 07 Dec 2020 17:36
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/13379

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