Table.
Patient characteristics, consultation pattern and meeting outcomes.*
| Pulmonary NTM n (%) | Extrapulmonary NTM n (%) | Total n (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients | 62 (68.1) | 26 (28.6) | 91 (100)† |
| Mean age at first meeting, years | 57.1 | 54.9 | 55.9 |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 30 (48.4) | 11 (42.3) | 43 (47.3) |
| Female | 32 (51.6) | 15 (57.7) | 48 (52.7) |
| Patient history | |||
| Previous mycobacterial infection | 19 (30.6) | 8 (30.8) | 27 (29.7) |
| Previous antimycobacterial treatment | 14 (22.6) | 7 (26.9) | 21 (23.1) |
| Current NTM treatment | 27 (43.5) | 14 (53.8) | 41 (45.1) |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 42 (67.7) | 2 (7.7) | 44 (48.4) |
| Immunodeficiency | 5 (8.1) | 3 (11.5) | 8 (8.8) |
| Immunosuppression | 25 (40.3) | 9 (34.6) | 34 (37.4) |
| Number of consultations per patient | |||
| 1 | 52 (83.9) | 17 (65.4) | 72 (79.1) |
| >1 | 10 (16.1) | 9 (34.6) | 19 (20.9) |
| Mean number of consultations per patient | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Cases | 79 (65.8) | 41 (34.2) | 120 (100) |
| Mycobacterium species | |||
| M. avium complex | 49 (62.0) | 11 (26.8) | 60 (50.0) |
| M. abscessus | 9 (11.4) | 11 (26.8) | 20 (16.7) |
| M. chelonae | 4 (5.1) | 5 (12.2) | 9 (7.5) |
| M. xenopi | 4 (5.1) | 1 (2.4) | 5 (4.2) |
| M. marinum | 0 (0) | 5 (12.2) | 5 (4.2) |
| M. kansasii | 4 (5.1) | 0 (0) | 4 (3.3) |
| Other | 4 (5.1) | 6 (14.6) | 10 (8.3) |
| No positive culture | 2 (2.5) | 2 (4.9) | 7 (5.8) |
| Nature of consultation‡ | |||
| Recommended treatment regimen | 31 (39.2) | 16 (39) | 47 (39.1) |
| Clinical relevance of isolated NTM species | 27 (34.2) | 12 (29.3) | 40 (33.3) |
| Not specified | 12 (15.2) | 9 (22) | 21 (17.5) |
| Diagnostics | 8 (10.1) | 5 (12.2) | 15 (12.5) |
| Surgery indication | 7 (8.9) | 6 (14.6) | 13 (10.8) |
| Progression under treatment | 5 (6.3) | 4 (9.8) | 9 (7.5) |
| Predisposing condition or event | 2 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 2 (1.7) |
| Recommendation | |||
| Additional diagnostics | 49 (62.0) | 25 (61.0) | 76 (63.3) |
| Supportive care | 18 (22.8) | 7 (17.1) | 26 (21.7) |
| Start hypertonic saline inhalation | 37 (46.8) | — | — |
| Start antimycobacterial treatment | 16 (20.3) | 5 (12.2) | 22 (18.3) |
| Continue antimycobacterial treatment | 23 (29.1) | 21 (51.2) | 44 (36.7) |
| Adjust antimycobacterial treatment | 10 (12.7) | 5 (12.2) | 15 (12.5) |
| Stop antimycobacterial treatment | 4 (5.1) | 2 (4.9) | 6 (5.0) |
| Surgical intervention | 7 (8.9) | 10 (24.4) | 17 (14.2) |
| Admission to Radboudumc | 8 (10.1) | 1 (2.4) | 9 (7.5) |
| In line with the NTM-PD guidelines§ | 57 (72.1) | 34 (82.9) | 93 (77.5) |
The number (N) of patients and cases were separated due to different reasons for consultations and recommendations between primary and re-consultation. †Disease manifestation was not recorded for 3 patients. ‡30 consultations included two topics. §The 2020 NTM-PD guideline was also adhered to for patients with extrapulmonary NTM, where applicable.
NTM = non-tuberculous mycobacteria; Radboudumc = Radboud University Medical Centre; NTM-PD = NTM causing pulmonary disease.