Turning Off the Tap: Using the FAST Approach to Stop the Spread of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the Russian Federation

BACKGROUND: We report the association of the FAST strategy (find cases actively, separate safely, and treat effectively) with reduction of hospital-based acquisition of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the Russian Federation. METHODS: We used preintervention and postintervention cohorts in 2 Russian hospitals to determine whether the FAST strategy was associated with a reduced odds of converting MDR tuberculosis within 12 months among patients with tuberculosis susceptible to isoniazid and rifampin at baseline. RESULTS: Sixty-three of 709 patients (8.9%) with isoniazid and rifampin–susceptible tuberculosis acquired MDR tuberculosis; 55 (12.2%) were in the early cohort, and 8 (3.1%) were in the FAST cohort. The FAST strategy was associated with a reduced odds (adjusted odds ratio, 0.16; 95% confidence interval, .07–.39) and 9.2% absolute reduction in the risk of MDR tuberculosis acquisition. CONCLUSION: Use of the FAST strategy in 2 Russian hospitals was associated with significantly less MDR tuberculosis 12 months after implementation.