[HIV/tuberculosis co-infection: a request for a better surveillance]

Coinfecção de Tb/HIV em um distrito administrativo do município de São Paulo

OBJETIVO: caracterizar o perfil sóciodemográfico e epidemiológico de pessoas com co-infecção Tb/HIV, residentes no distrito administrativo Capão Redondo do Município de São Paulo no período de 2000 a 2009. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo. RESULTADOS: De um total de 1.612 casos de tuberculose, 162 casos foram positivos para o HIV. Houve predomínio da faixa etária de 30 a 39 anos (39,5%), sexo masculino (61,1%) e a forma pulmonar (68,5%). Apenas 47,5% dos casos evoluíram para a cura, 13% abandonaram o tratamento e 32,2% foram a óbito. RESULTADOS: Ressalta-se a necessidade do conhecimento da situação da co-infecção Tb/HIV no sentido de oferecer uma assistência adequada a esta clientela, considerando que ambas as enfermidades não podem ser discutidas isoladamente. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que os casos de associação Tb/HIV contribuem para a não adesão ao tratamento e aumento da taxa de mortalidade.

Epidemiological profile of hospitalized patients with TB at a referral hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To determine the epidemiological profile of inpatients at a TB referral hospital.

METHODS

This was a descriptive, retrospective study of the medical charts of patients with TB hospitalized at the Hospital Estadual Santa Maria (HESM), in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between January of 2002 and December of 2003. Data were collected using a standardized form.

RESULTS

Of the 451 patients included in the study, 313 (69.4%) had been referred to the HESM from health care clinics, and 302 (67.0%) were male. Most of the patients were in the 30-59 year age bracket, 443 (98.2%) lived in the greater metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, and 298 (66.1%) lived in the city of Rio de Janeiro itself. The most common reason for hospitalization was poor health status (in 237, 52.5%). The most common comorbidity was AIDS (in 137, 30.4%). The most common signs and symptoms at admission were weight loss, fever and productive cough. Sputum smear microscopy was positive in 122 (71.0%) of the patients presenting with productive cough at admission. Of the 212 patients being retreated, 156 (73.6%) reported noncompliance with previous treatment. Regarding the outcome, 273 (65.8%) of the patients were referred to municipal health care centers, 83 (18.4%) died, 44 (9.8%) were cured, and 27 (6%) were discharged against medical advice.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing hospitals specializing in TB is relevant for TB control, especially in metropolitan regions. In addition to taking biosafety measures, these hospitals must be prepared to treat patients with TB-related comorbidities and social problems. This study has resulted in improvements at the HESM.

The impact of AIDS, immigration and housing overcrowding on tuberculosis deaths in São Paulo, Brazil, 1994-1998

The objective of this paper was to describe the distribution of tuberculosis (TB) mortality by area in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1994 to 1998, and to evaluate its statistical association with several population characteristics. We surveyed TB deaths grouped by residential area, at the district level, and we calculated the rates for these areas standardized by gender and age groups. We applied simultaneous autoregressive--SAR regression analysis (autocorrelated errors model) in order to fit a "stepwise" model correlating TB deaths with the variables of interest. Significant associations were found between TB mortality rates and AIDS mortality rates, overcrowding at the household level, social development (expressed by a socioeconomic index), and rates of foreign immigration and immigration from other Brazilian States. Regression analysis allowed us to estimate the frequency of TB deaths virtually attributable to co-infection with HIV at 22.37% (95% confidence interval: 12.15-41.17%). TB death rates and utilization of public health services were not statistically associated, suggesting a reduced effectiveness of programs directed at control of the disease. The correlation between TB death rates and deprivation, measured by the socioeconomic index, indicates higher mortality in underprivileged areas. The significance of the association between housing overcrowding and TB deaths, in contrast to the absence of association with district-level overcrowding, indicates that prolonged contact is needed for disease transmission. Although the influx of foreigners and national migrants to the city diminished after the 1980s, immigration rates have been significantly correlated with TB mortality, suggesting greater vulnerability of these population segments to the disease.