THE 3RD EPIDEMIC-MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS

We recently observed a striking increase in multidrug-resistant tuberc ulosis (MDR-TB) among patients admitted to the Chest Service at Bellev ue Hospital Center in New York. We reviewed the laboratory susceptibil ity test results of 4,681 tuberculosis (TB) cases over tile past 20 ye ars. Combined resistance to isoniazid and rifampin increased hum 2.5 p ercent in 1971 to 16 percent in 1991 with higher rates noted for indiv idual drugs. me reviewed the medical records of 100 patients with drug -resistant TB, finding that these individuals were predominantly less than 40 years of age, minority, male, jobless, undomiciled, with a hig h percentage of drug abuse and human immnnodeficiency virus infection. We conclude that the epidemics of AIDS and TB are complicated by a th ird epidemic of MDR-TB. This third epidemic requires urgent attention to achieve more rapid diagnosis, to develop new therapeutic regimens, and to address the social and hospital environment to care for these i ndividuals.