[Chronic communicable and non-communicable pathology and skin pathology of the migrant patient]. / Enfermedad crónica transmisible y no transmisible, y enfermedad cutánea del paciente migrante.

The care of migrant patients includes initial screening and lifelong monitoring, highlighting the importance of preventing and tracking chronic, communicable and non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and obesity varies by ethnicity, influenced by genetic factors, lifestyle, and socio-economic status. Preventive measures, health promotion, and risk factor identification are crucial. Chronic communicable diseases may manifest years after transmission, underscoring the necessity of primary care screening, especially for populations from endemic or high-risk areas. Imported skin lesions are a common reason for consultation among migrant and traveller patients. Their ethiology is varied, ranging from common conditions such as scabies, mycoses, and urticaria to tropical dermatoses like filariasis and leprosy.

Symptom-based screening tool in ruling out active tuberculosis among HIV-infected patients eligible for isoniazid preventive therapy in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the usefulness of the National TB and Leprosy Control Program (NTLP) symptom-based tuberculosis (TB) screening tool in identifying HIV-infected patients eligible for isoniazid preventive therapy in Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Data collected included socio-demographic and clinical data. Chest X-ray, sputum for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) microscopy, mycobacterial culture, CD4 + count and complete blood count were performed. Patients were considered not having active TB if they presented with no symptom in the screening tool, which comprised these symptoms: cough, fever and excessive night sweats for ≥2 weeks; weight loss of ≥3 kg in 4 weeks and haemoptysis of any duration. The reference standard was a negative culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. RESULTS: We enroled 373 patients, of whom 72.1% were females. Active pulmonary TB was found in 4.1% (14/338) of the participants as defined by a positive culture. The sensitivity and specificity of the NTLP screening tool were 71.4% (10/14) and 75.9% (246/324), respectively. False-negative rate was 28.6% (4/10). Cough, fever for ≥2 weeks and weight loss were independent predictors of NTLP-defined TB. Cough ≥2 weeks predicted TB when a positive culture was used to define TB. CONCLUSION: The screening tool had fairly good sensitivity and specificity for TB screening; however, there is a possibility that about 29% of the screened population will be given IPT while they are supposed to receive a full course of TB treatment.