RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The National tuberculosis program (NTP) in Ivory Coast recommends that children under 5 years living in a family environment with contagious tuberculosis patients, should receive Prophylactic treatment with INH (PTI), whatever the result of the tuberculin skin test (positive or negative) and their BCG status (vaccinated or not), at a dose of 5mg/kg/day for 6 months. We conducted this study to check the implementation of this recommendation in three support services of tuberculosis in Abidjan, the economic capital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional and descriptive study over 3 years (2011-2013), on consented patients, adolescents and adults aged at least 15 years, with a first episode of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, in order to look for information on the INH prophylaxis in children under 5 years living under the same roof. We made patients interviews during their visit for bacteriological sputum controls at the second month of TB treatment. RESULTS: Of a total of 412 patients (53% males and 47% females) with a mean age of 34.5 years and with a low level of instruction (66.5%), we noticed 639 children under 5 years living under the same roof with them. Information on the screening of contact children was given to 71% of interviewed patients (291/412). Of the 339 children examined among 639 contacts, 234 (69%) had received only an intradermoreaction (IDR) and PTI was finally administered to 64% of them (217/339). CONCLUSION: High proportion of contact children under 5 not examined is a major concern for the NTP and a missed opportunity to prevent additional cases of tuberculosis among children.