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BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory infections constitute a major disease burden worldwide. Treatment is usually empiric and targeted towards typical bacterial pathogens. Understanding the prevalence of pathogens not covered by empirical treatment is important to improve diagnostic and treatment algorithms. METHODS: A prospective observational study in peri-urban communities of Yangon, Myanmar was conducted between July 2018 and April 2019. Sputum specimens of 299 adults presenting with fever and productive cough were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF [Mycobacterium tuberculosis/resistance to rifampicin]) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (Active Melioidosis Detect Lateral Flow Assay and culture). Nasopharyngeal swabs underwent respiratory virus (influenza A, B, respiratory syncytial virus) polymerase chain reaction testing. RESULTS: Among 299 patients, 32% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26 to 37) were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), including 9 rifampicin-resistant cases. TB patients presented with a longer duration of fever (median 14 d) and productive cough (median 30 d) than non-TB patients (median fever duration 6 d, cough 7 d). One case of melioidosis pneumonia was detected by rapid test and confirmed by culture. Respiratory viruses were detected in 16% (95% CI 12 to 21) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: TB was very common in this population, suggesting that microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF on all sputum samples should be routinely included in diagnostic algorithms for fever and cough. Melioidosis was uncommon in this population.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a common HIV-associated opportunistic-infection worldwide. Existing literature focusses on hospital-based outcomes of induction treatment. This paper reviews outpatient management in integrated primary care clinics in Yangon. METHOD: This retrospective case note review analyses a Myanmar HIV-positive patient cohort managed using ambulatory induction-phase treatment with intravenous amphotericin-B-deoxycholate (0.7-1.0 mg/kg) and oral fluconazole (800 mg orally/day). RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. The median age of patients diagnosed was 35 years, 63% were male and 33 (45%) were on concurrent treatment for tuberculosis. The median CD4 count was 60 at the time of diagnosis. Amphotericin-B-deoxycholate infusions precipitated 56 episodes of toxicity, namely hypokalaemia, nephrotoxicity, anaemia, febrile reactions, phlebitis, observed in 44 patients (58%). One-year survival (86%) was higher than existing hospital-based treatment studies. CONCLUSION: Ambulation of patients in this cohort saved 1029 hospital bed days and had better survival outcomes when compared to hospital-based studies in other resource constrained settings.