Original Article

Risk for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among medical students at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Faculdade de Medicina

Risco de infecção pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre alunos da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Vania Maria Carneiro da Silva, Antônio José Ledo Alves da Cunha, Afrânio Lineu Kritski

J Bras Pneumol.2004;30(5):459-466

Prevalence of and variables related to smoking among medical students at a university in the city of Passo Fundo, Brazil

Prevalência e fatores associados ao tabagismo em estudantes de medicina de uma universidade em Passo Fundo (RS)

Leandro Mazzoleni Stramari, Munique Kurtz, Luiz Carlos Corrêa da Silva

J Bras Pneumol.2009;35(5):442-448

Profile and follow-up of patients with Mycobacterium sp. at the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Perfil e seguimento dos pacientes portadores de Mycobacterium sp. do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Giselle Carvalho Froes, Rosane Luiza Coutinho, Marcelo Nardy de Ávila, Leandra Rocha Cançado, Silvana Spíndola de Miranda

J Bras Pneumol.2003;29(6):365-370

Background: Surveys of patients diagnosed with mycobacteriosis, taken at the Laboratory of Mycobacteriology of the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, have shown that lack of information concerning diagnosis prevented 42% from initiating treatment. Objective: To evaluate the profile of patients with mycobacterial infection attending the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. To describe the follow up of those patients and compare it to the guidelines made by the National Program for the Control of Tuberculosis. Methods: The files of patients diagnosed with mycobacterium infection during 2002 were selected from the archives of the Laboratory of Mycobacteriology of the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. An active search for these patients was carried out and follow-up exams were then performed. Results: Of the 66 patients selected, 62 (94%) were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 4 (6%) had nontuberculous mycobacteriosis. Another 4 (6%) had been transferred to other institutions. Of the remaining 58, 37 (63%) had been cured, 1 (2%) had refused treatment, 9 (16%) were not found and 11 (19%) had died. Of the 11 deaths, 7 (64%) had tested positive for HIV. Conclusion: Patients failed to receive treatment not due to lack of diagnosis, but to inadequate structure, low awareness levels of all parties, and lack of tuberculosis control organization at the hospital level. Due to the high number of HIV-positive patients, the number of patients cured was lower than that required by the National Health Ministry. Deaths were attributed to HIV infection and lack of knowledge about the disease. In order to identify and address the problems associated with clinical laboratory practice, laboratory professionals must work in concert with their clinical counterparts when carrying out operational research on tuberculosis.

Keywords: Tuberculosis/diagnosis. Mycobacterium infections/complications.