Prescribing patterns and tolerability outcomes of multi-drug antibiotic therapy used to treat pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease due to Mycobacterium avium complex in U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with bronchiectasis

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental organisms that can cause chronic, debilitating pulmonary disease, leading to extensive parenchymal destruction, inflammatory lung tissue damage, airway dilation, and respiratory failure in rare cases. NTM infection disproportionately affects older individuals, post-menopausal women in particular, and those with chronic underlying lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, of which 80% occurs simultaneously with NTM infection. The burden of NTM disease has increased significantly in the past decade worldwide, leading to chronic, debilitating symptoms reducing quality of life and increasing morbidities, mortalities and permanent disabilities.