Tuberculosis in international immigrants: Profile and vulnerability of cases residing in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the profile of immigrants with tuberculosis (TB) and to identify the associated vulnerability characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study which used TB-WEB data from cases residing in São Paulo in 2016 (203 immigrants and 6,069 non-immigrants). The variables were analyzed using prevalence ratio and confidence intervals. RESULTS: Among the immigrant cases, 67% were Bolivians. When compared to non-immigrants, immigrants were younger and frequently indigenous or presenting yellow ethnicity. They were also associated with a higher education level. We observed less immigrants having extrapulmonary TB and comorbidities, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, or drug use. Compared to cured cases, immigrants were not associated with treatment default and death, but they were associated with transfer to another state/country. CONCLUSIONS: Younger individuals and higher education levels were identified among immigrants, as well as a lower occurrence of comorbidities and drug use. It is believed that these results have led immigrants to more favorable outcomes of TB treatment.

Vulnerability factors associated with HIV/AIDS hospitalizations: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: to identify the association between HIV/AIDS hospitalizations and factors that integrate individual, social, and programmatic vulnerabilities. METHODS: a case-control study conducted in 2014 in a municipality in the state of São Paulo. "Cases" included people living with HIV (PLHIV) hospitalized and "control" those who were outpatients. Interviews were conducted using a tool with sociodemographic variables, clinical characteristics and other vulnerabilities. Data were analyzed by conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: fifty-six cases and 112 control participated. Risk factors for HIV hospitalization were: unemployed and retired individuals; homeless people; non-antiretroviral users; individuals who did not regularly attend returns. Access to social workers was a protective factor for hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: this research contributed to measure the social, individual and programmatic vulnerabilities that interfere with HIV worsening and, consequently, unfavorable outcome such as hospitalization.

Vulnerability factors associated with HIV/AIDS hospitalizations: a case-control study / Factores de vulnerabilidad asociados a la hospitalización del VIH/SIDA: estudio de control de casos / Fatores de vulnerabilidade associados às internações por HIV/aids: estudo caso controle

ABSTRACT Objectives: to identify the association between HIV/AIDS hospitalizations and factors that integrate individual, social, and programmatic vulnerabilities. Methods: a case-control study conducted in 2014 in a municipality in the state of São Paulo. "Cases" included people living with HIV (PLHIV) hospitalized and "control" those who were outpatients. Interviews were conducted using a tool with sociodemographic variables, clinical characteristics and other vulnerabilities. Data were analyzed by conditional logistic regression. Results: fifty-six cases and 112 control participated. Risk factors for HIV hospitalization were: unemployed and retired individuals; homeless people; non-antiretroviral users; individuals who did not regularly attend returns. Access to social workers was a protective factor for hospitalization. Conclusions: this research contributed to measure the social, individual and programmatic vulnerabilities that interfere with HIV worsening and, consequently, unfavorable outcome such as hospitalization.

RESUMEN Objetivos: identificar la asociación entre las hospitalizaciones por VIH/SIDA y los factores que integran las vulnerabilidades individuales, sociales y del programa. Métodos: estudio de casos y controles realizado en 2014 en un municipio del estado de São Paulo. Los "casos" incluyeron a personas que viven con VIH (PVVIH) hospitalizadas y "controla" a los pacientes ambulatorios. Las entrevistas se realizaron utilizando un instrumento con variables sociodemográficas, características clínicas y otras vulnerabilidades. Los datos fueron analizados por regresión logística condicional. Resultados: participaron 56 casos y 112 controles. Los factores de riesgo de hospitalización por VIH fueron: personas desempleadas y jubiladas; personas sin hogar; usuarios no antirretrovirales; individuos que no asistieron regularmente a las declaraciones. El acceso a los trabajadores sociales fue un factor protector para la hospitalización. Conclusiones: esta investigación contribuyó a medir las vulnerabilidades sociales, individuales y programáticas que interfieren con la agudización del VIH y, en consecuencia, el resultado desfavorable, como la hospitalización.

RESUMO Objetivos: identificar a associação entre as internações por HIV/aids e os fatores que integram as vulnerabilidades individuais, sociais e programáticas. Métodos: estudo caso-controle realizado em 2014 em um município do estado de São Paulo. "Casos" compreenderam pessoas que viviam com HIV (PVHIV) internadas e "controles" aquelas que faziam acompanhamento ambulatorial. Foram realizadas entrevistas utilizando um instrumento com variáveis sociodemográficas, características clínicas e outras vulnerabilidades. Os dados foram analisados por meio de regressão logística condicional. Resultados: participaram 56 casos e 112 controles. Constituíram fatores de risco para internação hospitalar por HIV: indivíduos desempregados e aposentados/do lar; pessoas em situação de rua; não usuários de antirretroviral; indivíduos que não compareciam regularmente aos retornos. Acesso à assistente social constituiu-se um fator de proteção para internação. Conclus ões: esta investigação contribuiu para mensurar as vulnerabilidades sociais, individuais e programáticas que interferem na agudização do HIV e, consequentemente, no desfecho desfavorável, como a internação hospitalar.

Capacidade gerencial da atenção primária à saúde para o controle da tuberculose em diferentes regiões do Brasil / Capacidad gerencial de la atención primaria a la salud para el control de la tuberculosis en diferentes regiones de Brasil / Management capacity of primary health care for tuberculosis control in different regions of Brazil

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar a capacidade gerencial da atenção primária à saúde para o controle da tuberculose. Método: pesquisa avaliativa, de delineamento transversal. População: profissionais de saúde da atenção primária à saúde que atuavam no controle da tuberculose. Coleta de dados: instrumento e questionário baseados na proposta de avaliação da capacidade institucional local, para o modelo de atenção às condições crônicas, adaptado para a atenção à tuberculose. Na análise dos dados, calculou-se o escore médio das respostas a cada questão do instrumento e realizou-se a análise de correspondência múltipla. Resultados: a capacidade gerencial, na atenção primária à saúde, para o controle da tuberculose, apresentou resultados desfavoráveis para: agendamento no sistema de registro informatizado de consulta médica e exames de laboratório no tratamento de tuberculose, não utilização de comunicação formal e escrita para a referência dos casos de tuberculose. Além disso, o agente comunitário de saúde não se integra à equipe da unidade e não faz articulação com os recursos da comunidade e o apoio de especialista e a capacitação dos profissionais de saúde para o tratamento da tuberculose é limitado. Conclusão: a capacidade organizacional dos serviços de atenção primária à saúde, nos municípios pesquisados, apresenta avaliação desfavorável para o acesso aos sistemas de monitoramento/vigilância, planejamento, capacitação e articulação com a comunidade para o controle da tuberculose, quesitos os quais influenciam a viabilização das políticas para mudanças no modelo de atenção à tuberculose como condição crônica.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar la capacidad gerencial de la atención primaria a la salud para el control de la tuberculosis. Método: investigación evaluativa, de delineamiento transversal. Población: profesionales de salud de la atención primaria a la salud que actuaban en el control de la tuberculosis. Recolección de datos: instrumento y cuestionario basados ​​en la propuesta de evaluación de la capacidad institucional local, para el modelo de atención a las condiciones crónicas, adaptado para la atención a la tuberculosis. En el análisis de los datos, se calculó el puntaje medio de las respuestas a cada cuestión del instrumento y se realizó el análisis de correspondencia múltiple. Resultados: la capacidad gerencial, en la atención primaria a la salud, para el control de la tuberculosis, presentó resultados desfavorables para: programación en el sistema de registro informatizado de consulta médica y exámenes de laboratorio en el tratamiento de tuberculosis, no utilización de comunicación formal y escrita para la intervención referencia de los casos de tuberculosis. Además, el agente comunitario de salud no se integra al equipo de la unidad y no hace articulación con los recursos de la comunidad y el apoyo de especialista y la capacitación de los profesionales de salud para el tratamiento de la tuberculosis es limitado. Conclusión: la capacidad organizativa de los servicios de atención primaria a la salud, en los municipios encuestados, presenta una evaluación desfavorable para el acceso a los sistemas de monitoreo/vigilancia, planificación, capacitación y articulación con la comunidad para el control de la tuberculosis, que influyen en la viabilidad de las políticas para cambios en el modelo de atención a la tuberculosis como condición crónica

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the management capacity of primary health care for tuberculosis control. Method: cross-sectional study. Population: primary health care professional active in tuberculosis control. Data collection: instrument and questionnaire based on evaluation proposal of local institutional capacity for the chronic illness care model, adapted for tuberculosis care. In the data analysis, the mean score of answers to each instrument question was calculated and multiple correspondence analysis was applied. Results: in primary health care, the management capacity for tuberculosis control presented unfavorable results for: scheduling the tuberculosis treatment medical consultation and laboratory tests in computerized registration system, non-use of formal and written communication for the referral of tuberculosis cases. In addition, the community health worker does not interact with the service team and does not articulate with the community resources. Expert support and health professional training for tuberculosis treatment are limited. Conclusion: the organizational capacity of the primary care services in the investigated cities presents a negative assessment for the access to the monitoring/surveillance systems, planning, training and community articulation for tuberculosis controls, aspects that influence the feasibility of the policies for changes in the care model for tuberculosis as a chronic condition.

Questionnaire of shared diagnosis in primary care: typical x expanded family health teams / Questionário de diagnóstico compartilhado da atenção básica: equipes de saúde da família típicas x ampliadas

Increase in clientele, relationship between the primary care team and the specialties, health promotion activities, and infrastructure conditions are organizational factors the Family Health Strategy needs to contribute to provide comprehensive care in the Brazilian National Health System. This article aims to compare the results of applying the Questionnaire of Shared Diagnosis in Primary Care (QD-CAB), concerning the issues related to comprehensiveness, between typical and expanded Family Health teams in a town in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The method and QDCAB were applied to typical Family Health teams and those having specialists in the major areas (expanded teams), and the analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, enabling comparison of the distribution of answers between the two team models. Expanded teams establish a rather collective bond (0.0026), however, there was no difference in the results of efforts in this regard between the two team models (0.7227). The low marks assigned to issues concerning the relation of the team to the specialists, overall, reveal the difficulties in ensuring comprehensive care. Health promotion activities were assigned high marks from both models. The adequacy of physical structure in the health center was assigned lower marks from the typical teams (< 0.0001). The relation of the teams to the specialists is an obstacle to ensuring comprehensiveness and, regarding typical teams, excessive demand and the infrastructure conditions also pose difficulties.

A adscrição de clientela, a relação entre a equipe de atenção básica com as especialidades, as atividades de promoção à saúde e condições de infraestrutura são fatores organizacionais necessários para a Estratégia de Saúde da Família contribuir para proporcionar o cuidado integral no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). O objetivo deste artigo é comparar os resultados da aplicação do Questionário de Diagnóstico Compartilhado da Atenção Básica (QDCAB), no tocante aos quesitos referentes à integralidade, entre equipes de Saúde da Família típicas e ampliadas em um município paulista. O método e o QDCAB foram aplicados a equipes de Saúde da Família típicas e àquelas com especialistas das grandes áreas (equipes ampliadas), e a análise foi realizada utilizando o teste de Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, permitindo a comparação da distribuição das respostas entre os dois modelos de equipe. As equipes ampliadas estabelecem vínculo de forma mais coletiva (0,0026), porém, não houve diferença nos resultados dos esforços realizados nesse sentido entre os dois modelos de equipe (0,7227). As notas baixas atribuídas às questões relativas à relação da equipe com os especialistas, de uma forma geral, revelam as dificuldades para garantir a integralidade da atenção. As atividades de promoção à saúde receberam notas altas de ambos os modelos. A adequação da estrutura física do centro de saúde recebeu menores notas das equipes típicas (< 0,0001). A relação das equipes com os especialistas é um obstáculo para a garantia da integralidade e, para as equipes típicas, o excesso de demanda e as condições de infraestrutura também representam dificuldades.

Validity and reliability of a health care service evaluation instrument for tuberculosis / Validação e confiabilidade: instrumento para avaliação de serviços que tratam tuberculose

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the validity and reliability of an instrument that evaluates the structure of primary health care units for the treatment of tuberculosis. METHODS This cross-sectional study used simple random sampling and evaluated 1,037 health care professionals from five Brazilian municipalities (Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte; Cabedelo, state of Paraíba; Foz do Iguaçu, state of Parana; Sao José do Rio Preto, state of Sao Paulo, and Uberaba, state of Minas Gerais) in 2011. Structural indicators were identified and validated, considering different methods of organization of the health care system in the municipalities of different population sizes. Each structure represented the organization of health care services and contained the resources available for the execution of health care services: physical resources (equipment, consumables, and facilities); human resources (number and qualification); and resources for maintenance of the existing infrastructure and technology (deemed as the organization of health care services). The statistical analyses used in the validation process included reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS The validation process indicated the retention of five factors, with 85.9% of the total variance explained, internal consistency between 0.6460 and 0.7802, and quality of fit of the confirmatory factor analysis of 0.995 using the goodness-of-fit index. The retained factors comprised five structural indicators: professionals involved in the care of tuberculosis patients, training, access to recording instruments, availability of supplies, and coordination of health care services with other levels of care. Availability of supplies had the best performance and the lowest coefficient of variation among the services evaluated. The indicators of assessment of human resources and coordination with other levels of care had satisfactory performance, but the ...

OBJETIVO Analisar a validade e confiabilidade de instrumento de avaliação da estrutura dos serviços de atenção básica para o tratamento da tuberculose. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal com amostragem aleatória simples para 1.037 profissionais de saúde de cinco municípios (Natal, RN; Cabedelo, PB; Foz do Iguaçu, PR; São José do Rio Preto, SP e Uberaba, MG) em 2011. Foram identificados e validados indicadores estruturais, considerando as diferentes modalidades de organização do sistema de saúde de municípios de diferentes portes populacionais. A “estrutura” correspondeu aos recursos existentes para a execução dos serviços: físicos (equipamentos, materiais de consumo e instalações); humanos (número e qualificação); e fontes para manutenção da infraestrutura e da tecnologia existente, entendida como organização do serviço de saúde. Os procedimentos estatísticos utilizados no processo de validação foram análise de confiabilidade, análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória. RESULTADOS O processo de validação determinou a retenção de cinco fatores com 85,9% de variância total explicada, consistência interna entre 0,6460 e 0,7802 e qualidade de ajustamento da análise confirmatória de 0,995 para o goodness-of-fit index. Os fatores retidos compuseram os cinco indicadores estruturais: profissionais envolvidos com o atendimento de tuberculose; capacitação; acesso a instrumentos de registro; disponibilidade de insumos; e articulação do serviço de saúde com outros níveis de atenção. O indicador com melhor desempenho foi disponibilidade de insumos, com menor coeficiente de variação nos serviços avaliados. Os indicadores de avaliação dos recursos humanos e articulação com outros níveis de serviços apresentaram percentuais satisfatórios; entretanto, este último apresentou o maior coeficiente de variação. Os indicadores de capacitação e acesso a instrumentos de registro apresentaram percentuais de avaliação inferiores aos demais. CONCLUSÕES O ...

Association of serum levels of iron, copper, and zinc, and inflammatory markers with bacteriological sputum conversion during tuberculosis treatment.

Iron, copper, and zinc are key micronutrients that play an important role in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between serum levels of those micronutrients, inflammatory markers, and the smear and culture conversion of M. tuberculosis during 60 days of tuberculosis treatment. Seventy-five male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (mean age, 40.0 ± 10.7 years) were evaluated at baseline and again at 30 and 60 days of tuberculosis treatment. Serum levels of iron, copper, zinc, albumin, globulin, C-reactive protein, and hemoglobin, and smear and cultures for M. tuberculosis in sputum samples were analyzed. Compared to healthy subjects, at baseline, patients with PTB had lower serum iron levels, higher copper levels and copper/zinc ratio, and similar zinc levels. During the tuberculosis treatment, no significant changes in the serum levels of iron, zinc, and copper/zinc were observed. Lower serum copper levels were associated with bacteriological conversion in tuberculosis treatment (tuberculosis-negative) at 30 days but not at 60 days (tuberculosis-positive). C-reactive protein levels and the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio were lower in tuberculosis-negative patients than in tuberculosis-positive patients at 30 and 60 days after treatment. Albumin and hemoglobin levels and the albumin/globulin ratio in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis increased during the study period, regardless of the bacteriological results. High serum globulin levels did not change among pulmonary tuberculosis patients during the study. Serum copper levels and the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio may be important parameters to evaluate the persistence of non-conversion after 60 days of tuberculosis treatment, and they may serve as predictors for relapse after successful treatment.

[Delay in seeking initial care for tuberculosis diagnosis]. / Atraso na procura pelo primeiro atendimento para o diagnóstico da tuberculose.

Descriptive study, which aimed to analyze the time between the perception of TB symptoms onset and the first search for health services, according to TB patient characteristics in São José do Rio Preto - SP. 97 TB patients in treatment were interviewed with a structured instrument. The delay was identified by the median time between the perception of TB symptom's onset and the patients demand for care (> 15 days). To identify the variables related to delay the prevalence ratio were calculated. There was a delay seeking care among: male patients, aged 18 to 29 and 50 to 59 years, lower education and higher family income, pulmonary cases without HIV co-infection, presenting milder symptoms, users of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, those who did not perform preventive health control, and who sought health services closer to home. The recognition of users' profiles in the search for care is paramount for defining strategies that favor the use of services in a timely manner.

Atraso na procura pelo primeiro atendimento para o diagnóstico da tuberculose / Delay in seeking initial care for tuberculosis diagnosis / Demora en la búsqueda de la primera consulta para el diagnóstico de la tuberculosis

Estudo descritivo que objetivou analisar o tempo decorrido entre a percepção dos sintomas da tuberculose (TB) e a primeira busca por serviço de saúde segundo características dos doentes com TB em São José do Rio Preto - SP. Entrevistaram-se 97 doentes com TB utilizando instrumento estruturado. Identificou-se atraso do doente pela mediana do tempo entre a percepção dos sintomas e busca por atendimento (> 15 dias). Calculou-se a razão de prevalência para identificar variáveis relacionadas ao atraso. Houve atraso entre: doentes do sexo masculino, com 18 a 29 e 50 a 59 anos, baixa escolaridade, maior renda familiar, casos pulmonares, não coinfectados com HIV, sintomas fracos, consumidores de bebidas alcoólicas e tabaco, que não realizavam controle preventivo de saúde e procuravam o serviço de saúde mais próximo do domicílio. O reconhecimento do perfil dos usuários na busca por atendimento é primordial para definir estratégias que favoreçam a utilização dos serviços em momento oportuno.

Descriptive study, which aimed to analyze the time between the perception of TB symptoms onset and the first search for health services, according to TB patient characteristics in São José do Rio Preto - SP. 97 TB patients in treatment were interviewed with a structured instrument. The delay was identified by the median time between the perception of TB symptom's onset and the patients demand for care (> 15 days). To identify the variables related to delay the prevalence ratio were calculated. There was a delay seeking care among: male patients, aged 18 to 29 and 50 to 59 years, lower education and higher family income, pulmonary cases without HIV co-infection, presenting milder symptoms, users of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, those who did not perform preventive health control, and who sought health services closer to home. The recognition of users' profiles in the search for care is paramount for defining strategies that favor the use of services in a timely manner.

Estudio descriptivo objetivando analizar el tiempo transcurrido entre la percepción de los primeros síntomas de tuberculosis (TB) y la búsqueda de una primera consulta en servicios de salud, según características de los enfermos de TB en São José de Rio Preto-SP. Fueron entrevistados 97 enfermos de TB, utilizándose instrumento estructurado. Se identificó atraso del enfermo por la mediana de tiempo entre percepción de síntomas y búsqueda de atención (>15 días). Se calculó la razón prevalente para identificar variables relacionadas al atraso. Existió atraso entre: enfermos masculinos, con 18 a 29 y 50 a 59 años, baja escolarización, mayor renta familiar, casos pulmonares, no coinfectados con HIV, síntomas débiles, consumidores de alcohol y tabaco, sin control sanitario preventivo, buscando servicio de salud próximo al domicilio. El reconocimiento del perfil de pacientes buscando atención es primordial para definir estrategias que favorezcan la utilización de los servicios en el momento oportuno.

Assessing new strategies for TB diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries

In this manuscript, we report the current situation of tuberculosis globally and in Brazil, the need for new strategies toward tuberculosis control, focusing on new diagnostic technologies. Critical comments are given on the state of the art regarding the evaluation of new health technologies, degree of scientific evidence needed, evaluation of clinical impact, cost-effectiveness of incorporation into the health system and the social impact.

Assessing new strategies for TB diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries.

In this manuscript, we report the current situation of tuberculosis globally and in Brazil, the need for new strategies toward tuberculosis control, focusing on new diagnostic technologies. Critical comments are given on the state of the art regarding the evaluation of new health technologies, degree of scientific evidence needed, evaluation of clinical impact, cost-effectiveness of incorporation into the health system and the social impact.

Aspectos epidemiológicos da tuberculose em crianças e adolescentes no Rio de Janeiro / Epidemiological aspects of tuberculosis in children and adolescents in Rio de Janeiro

OBJETIVO: Descrever os aspectos epidemiológicos da tuberculose infantil (TB) em hospital de referência. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo (1999-2008) de 473 indivíduos (0-14 anos) com TB confirmada, ou com melhora clínica até o quarto mês de tratamento sob os cuidados da unidade, incluindo a revisão dos prontuários médicos, fichas de acompanhamento clínico de TB e fichas de notificação da unidade de TB do hospital. RESULTADOS: Dentre os 473 casos de TB incluídos no estudo, 52% apresentou reatividade à prova tuberculínica, 66% história de contato com paciente com tuberculose pulmonar, principalmente intradomiciliar, sendo o pai/padrasto o familiar mais envolvido; TB disseminada em 22%. O resultado do teste de HIV foi obtido em 265 casos (56%), sendo positivo em 45 (17%). O diagnóstico de TB foi confirmado em 31% dos casos, mais frequentemente em crianças com idade acima de 5 anos, com prova tuberculínica negativa, e nas formas disseminadas. Das 65 culturas positivas para a TB realizadas no estudo, o teste da sensibilidade às drogas anti-TB foi obtido em 30 casos (46%), entre os quais 10 (33%) eram resistentes a um ou mais fármacos anti-TB, e 2 (0,8%) eram multirresistentes. Entre os pacientes com tuberculose pulmonar confirmada, 31% não preencheram os critérios para iniciar o tratamento com anti-TB de acordo com pontuação do Ministério da Saúde (< 25 pontos). CONCLUSÃO: A elevada percentagem de TB resistente à fármacos e a co-infecção com HIV identificados neste estudo enfatiza a necessidade de realizar estudos adicionais para avaliar tal impacto nas atividades de controle da TB infantil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological aspects of childhood tuberculosis (TB) in a Brazilian reference hospital. METHODS: This was a retrospective study (1999-2008) of 473 subjects (0-14 year olds) with confirmed TB, or with clinical improvement by the fourth month of treatment under the unit's care, including the review of medical records, monitoring reports and notifications by the TB unit. RESULTS: Among 473 TB cases included in the study, positive tuberculin skin test was observed in 52%, history of contact with a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis in 66%, mostly intra-household, and with the father/stepfather most commonly involved; and disseminated TB in 22%. The result of HIV testing was obtained in 265 (56%) cases, being positive in 45 (17%). The diagnosis of TB was confirmed in 31% of cases, most frequently in children older than 5 years, with negative tuberculin skin test, and in disseminated forms. Of the 65 cultures positive for TB performed in the study, drug sensitivity testing to anti-TB drugs was done in 30 (46%) clinical samples, among which 10 (33%) were resistant to one or more anti-TB drugs, and 2 (0.8%) were multi-drug-resistant. Among patients with confirmed pulmonary TB, 31% did not meet the criteria for starting anti-TB treatment according to the scores of the Ministry of Health (< 25 points). CONCLUSION: The high proportion of drug-resistant TB and co-infection with HIV identified in this study highlight the necessity to carry out additional studies in order to evaluate the impact of TB control activities on childhood TB.

Comparison of two laboratory-developed PCR methods for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Brazilian patients with and without HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: Direct smear examination with Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is cheap and easy to use, but its low sensitivity is a major drawback, particularly in HIV seropositive patients. As such, new tools for laboratory diagnosis are urgently needed to improve the case detection rate, especially in regions with a high prevalence of TB and HIV. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of two in house PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction): PCR dot-blot methodology (PCR dot-blot) and PCR agarose gel electrophoresis (PCR-AG) for the diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) in HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative patients. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted (from May 2003 to May 2004) in a TB/HIV reference hospital. Sputum specimens from 277 PTB suspects were tested by Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) smear, Culture and in house PCR assays (PCR dot-blot and PCR-AG) and their performances evaluated. Positive cultures combined with the definition of clinical pulmonary TB were employed as the gold standard. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PTB was 46% (128/277); in HIV+, prevalence was 54.0% (40/74). The sensitivity and specificity of PCR dot-blot were 74% (CI 95%; 66.1%-81.2%) and 85% (CI 95%; 78.8%-90.3%); and of PCR-AG were 43% (CI 95%; 34.5%-51.6%) and 76% (CI 95%; 69.2%-82.8%), respectively. For HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative samples, sensitivities of PCR dot-blot (72% vs 75%; p=0.46) and PCR-AG (42% vs 43%; p=0.54) were similar. Among HIV seronegative patients and PTB suspects, ROC analysis presented the following values for the AFB smear (0.837), Culture (0.926), PCR dot-blot (0.801) and PCR-AG (0.599). In HIV seropositive patients, these area values were (0.713), (0.900), (0.789) and (0.595), respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of this study demonstrate that the in house PCR dot blot may be an improvement for ruling out PTB diagnosis in PTB suspects assisted at hospitals with a high prevalence of TB/HIV.

The Active Search for Respiratory Symptomatics for the Control of Tuberculosis in the Potiguara Indigenous Scenario, Paraiba, Brazil / A busca ativa de sintomáticos respiratórios para o controle da tuberculose, no cenário indígena potiguara, Paraíba, Brasil / La búsqueda activa de sintomáticos respiratorios para el control de la tuberculosis en el escenario indígena Potiguara, estado de Paraíba, Brasil

This study sought to analyze the actions of an active search for respiratory symptomatics (RSs) in the control of tuberculosis (TB) in the Potiguara Special Indigenous Sanitary District, Paraiba, Brazil, between May and June 2007. After approval by the Research Ethics Committee, 23 professionals were grouped, including physicians, nurses, nurse technicians and indigenous health agents. The focus group technique was used as an instrument for data collection, based on the discourse analysis technique. Weaknesses of an operational nature that became apparent, related to the organization of local health service for the implementation of routines for diagnosing TB: absence of a systematic routine for searching for RSs, difficulties in organizing the material for bacteriological examination, inadequate approach to patient during sputum collection and inadequate professional training. It is deemed necessary to improve the organization of services for early detection of TB cases in the local indigenous scenario.

Procurou-se analisar as ações de busca ativa de sintomáticos respiratórios (SR) para o controle da tuberculose (TB), no Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena Potiguara, na Paraíba, Brasil, no período de maio a junho de 2007. Após aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa, foram reunidos 23 profissionais entre médicos, enfermeiros, técnicos de enfermagem e agentes indígenas de saúde. Utilizou-se a técnica de grupo focal como instrumento de coleta de dados, cujo tratamento fundamentou-se na técnica de análise de discurso. Evidenciaram-se debilidades de natureza operacional, relacionadas à organização do serviço de saúde local para a implantação de rotinas de diagnóstico para a TB: ausência de rotina sistematizada para a busca de SR, dificuldades na organização do material para exame bacteriológico, abordagem inadequada ao paciente, durante a coleta do escarro, e insuficiente capacitação profissional. Julga-se necessário melhorar a organização dos serviços para a detecção precoce dos casos de TB, no cenário indígena local.

Este estudio analiza las acciones de la búsqueda activa de sintomáticos respiratorios (SR) para el control de la tuberculosis (TB) en el Distrito Sanitario Especial Indígena Potiguara, en Paraíba, Brasil, en el período de mayo a junio de 2007. Después de aprobado por el Comité de Ética en Investigación, fueron reunidos 23 profesionales, entre médicos, enfermeros, técnicos de enfermería y agentes indígenas de la salud. Se utilizó la técnica de grupo focal como instrumento de recolección de datos, cuyo tratamiento se fundamentó en la técnica de análisis de discurso. Se evidenciaron debilidades de naturaleza operacional, relacionadas a la organización del servicio de salud local para la implantación de rutinas de diagnóstico para la TB, que fueron: ausencia de una rutina sistematizada para la búsqueda de SR, dificultades en la organización del material para examen bacteriológico, abordaje inadecuado al paciente durante la recolección del esputo, e insuficiente capacitación profesional. Se juzga necesario mejorar la organización de los servicios para la detección precoz de los casos de TB en el escenario indígena local.

[Spatial analysis of tuberculosis/HIV coinfection: its relation with socioeconomic levels in a city in south-eastern Brazil]. / Análise espacial da co-infecção tuberculose/HIV: relação com níveis socioeconômicos em município do sudeste do Brasil.

INTRODUCTION: Spatial analysis of the distribution of tuberculosis/HIV coinfection was performed and associated with socioeconomic indicators in São José do Rio Preto, from 1998 to 2006. METHODS: New TB/HIV coinfection cases were georeferenced and incidence coefficients were calculated for spatial units. Moran's index was used to evaluate spatial associations of incidences. Multiple regressions selected variables that could best explain the spatial association of incidences. The local indicator of spatial association was used to identify significant spatial groupings. RESULTS: Moran's index was 0.0635 (p=0.0000) indicating that the incidence association occurred. The variable that best explained the spatial association of incidence was the percentage of heads of families with up to three years of education. The LISA cluster map for TB/HIV coinfection incidence coefficients showed groups with high incidence rates in the North and low incidence in the South and West regions of the municipality. CONCLUSIONS: The study elucidated the spatial geographic distribution of TB/HIV coinfection and determined its association with socioeconomic variables, thus providing data for oriented planning, prioritizing socially disadvantaged regions that present a higher incidence of the disease.

The active search for respiratory symptomatics for the control of tuberculosis in the Potiguara Indigenous Scenario, Paraiba, Brazil.

This study sought to analyze the actions of an active search for respiratory symptomatics (RSs) in the control of tuberculosis (TB) in the Potiguara Special Indigenous Sanitary District, Paraiba, Brazil, between May and June 2007. After approval by the Research Ethics Committee, 23 professionals were grouped, including physicians, nurses, nurse technicians and indigenous health agents. The focus group technique was used as an instrument for data collection, based on the discourse analysis technique. Weaknesses of an operational nature that became apparent, related to the organization of local health service for the implementation of routines for diagnosing TB: absence of a systematic routine for searching for RSs, difficulties in organizing the material for bacteriological examination, inadequate approach to patient during sputum collection and inadequate professional training. It is deemed necessary to improve the organization of services for early detection of TB cases in the local indigenous scenario.

III Brazilian Thoracic Association Guidelines on tuberculosis.

New scientific articles about tuberculosis (TB) are published daily worldwide. However, it is difficult for health care workers, overloaded with work, to stay abreast of the latest research findings and to discern which information can and should be used in their daily practice on assisting TB patients. The purpose of the III Brazilian Thoracic Association (BTA) Guidelines on TB is to critically review the most recent national and international scientific information on TB, presenting an updated text with the most current and useful tools against TB to health care workers in our country. The III BTA Guidelines on TB have been developed by the BTA Committee on TB and the TB Work Group, based on the text of the II BTA Guidelines on TB (2004). We reviewed the following databases: LILACS (SciELO) and PubMed (Medline). The level of evidence of the cited articles was determined, and 24 recommendations on TB have been evaluated, discussed by all of the members of the BTA Committee on TB and of the TB Work Group, and highlighted. The first version of the present Guidelines was posted on the BTA website and was available for public consultation for three weeks. Comments and critiques were evaluated. The level of scientific evidence of each reference was evaluated before its acceptance for use in the final text.

Dificuldades de acesso a serviços de saúde para diagnóstico de tuberculose em municípios do Brasil / Difficulties in the accessibility to health services for tuberculosis diagnoses in Brazilian municipalities

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as dificuldades de acesso para diagnóstico da tuberculose nos serviços de saúde no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo realizado em 2007 com pacientes com tuberculose, atendidos na rede de atenção básica nos municípios de Ribeirão Preto (SP), São José do Rio Preto (SP), Itaboraí (RJ), Campina Grande (PB) e Feira de Santana (BA). Utilizou-se o instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool, adaptado para atenção à tuberculose. O diagnóstico de tuberculose nos serviços foi avaliado por meio da análise fatorial de correspondência múltipla. RESULTADOS: O acesso ao diagnóstico foi representado pelas dimensões locomoção ao serviço de saúde e serviço de atendimento no plano fatorial. Os pacientes dos municípios Ribeirão Preto e Itaboraí foram associados às condições mais favoráveis à dimensão locomoção e os de Campina Grande e Feira de Santana as menos favoráveis. Ribeirão Preto apresentou condições mais favoráveis para a dimensão serviço de atendimento seguido dos municípios Itaboraí, Feira de Santana e Campina Grande. São José do Rio Preto apresentou condições menos favoráveis que os outros municípios para as dimensões locomoção e serviço de atendimento. CONCLUSÕES: A análise fatorial permitiu visualizar conjuntamente as características organizacionais dos serviços de atenção à tuberculose. A descentralização das ações para o programa de saúde da família e ambulatório parece não apresentar desempenho satisfatório para o acesso ao diagnóstico de tuberculose, pois a forma de organização dos serviços não foi fator determinante para garantia de acesso ao diagnóstico precoce da doença.(AU)

Dificuldades de acesso a serviços de saúde para diagnóstico de tuberculose em municípios do Brasil / Difficulties in the accessibility to health services for tuberculosis diagnoses in Brazilian municipalities

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as dificuldades de acesso para diagnóstico da tuberculose nos serviços de saúde no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo realizado em 2007 com pacientes com tuberculose, atendidos na rede de atenção básica nos municípios de Ribeirão Preto (SP), São José do Rio Preto (SP), Itaboraí (RJ), Campina Grande (PB) e Feira de Santana (BA). Utilizou-se o instrumento "Primary Care Assessment Tool," adaptado para atenção à tuberculose. O diagnóstico de tuberculose nos serviços foi avaliado por meio da análise fatorial de correspondência múltipla. RESULTADOS: O acesso ao diagnóstico foi representado pelas dimensões "locomoção ao serviço de saúde" e "serviço de atendimento" no plano fatorial. Os pacientes dos municípios Ribeirão Preto e Itaboraí foram associados às condições mais favoráveis à dimensão "locomoção" e os de Campina Grande e Feira de Santana as menos favoráveis. Ribeirão Preto apresentou condições mais favoráveis para a dimensão "serviço de atendimento" seguido dos municípios Itaboraí, Feira de Santana e Campina Grande. São José do Rio Preto apresentou condições menos favoráveis que os outros municípios para as dimensões "locomoção" e "serviço de atendimento". CONCLUSÕES: A análise fatorial permitiu visualizar conjuntamente as características organizacionais dos serviços de atenção à tuberculose. A descentralização das ações para o programa de saúde da família e ambulatório parece não apresentar desempenho satisfatório para o acesso ao diagnóstico de tuberculose, pois a forma de organização dos serviços não foi fator determinante para garantia de acesso ao diagnóstico precoce da doença.

OBJECTIVE: To assess difficulties in the accessibility to tuberculosis diagnoses in the health services in Brazil. METHODS: The study was carried out in 2007 and surveyed tuberculosis patients treated in the primary care services in the cities of Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Itaboraí (these three in Southeastern Brazil), Campina Grande and Feira de Santana (these two in Northeastern Brazil). The instrument "Primary Care Assessment Tool" was used, adapted to assess tuberculosis care in Brazil. Tuberculosis diagnosis in the health services was assessed by means of multiple correspondence factor analysis. RESULTS: The accessibility to the diagnosis was represented by the dimensions "locomotion to the health service" and "assistance service" in the factorial plan. The patients from Ribeirão Preto and Itaboraí were associated with more favorable conditions to the dimension "locomotion to the health service" and the patients from Campina Grande and Feira de Santana were associated with less favorable conditions. Ribeirão Preto presented more favorable conditions to the dimension "assistance service", followed by Itaboraí, Feira de Santana and Campina Grande. São José do Rio Preto presented less favorable conditions to both dimensions, "locomotion to the health service" and "assistance service", compared to the other cities. CONCLUSIONS: The factor analysis enabled the visualization of the organizational characteristics of the services that provide tuberculosis care. The decentralization of the actions to the family health program and reference centers seems not to present a satisfactory performance regarding accessibility to the tuberculosis diagnosis, as the form of services organization was not a determinant factor to guarantee the accessibility to the early diagnosis of the illness.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar las dificultades de acceso para diagnóstico de la tuberculosis en los servicios de salud en Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudio realizado en 2007 con pacientes con tuberculosis, atendidos en la red de atención básica en los municipios de Ribeirao Preto, Sao José do Río Preto, Itaboraí (sureste de Brasil); y Campina Grande y Feira de Santana (Noreste de Brasil). Se utilizó un instrumento "Primary Care Assessment Tool", adaptado para atención a la tuberculosis. El diagnóstico de tuberculosis en los servicios fue evaluado por medio del análisis factorial de correspondencia múltiple. RESULTADOS: El acceso al diagnóstico fue representado por las dimensiones "locomoción al servicio de salud" y "servicio de atención" en el plano factorial. Los pacientes de los municipios Ribeirao Preto e Itaboraí fueron asociados a las condiciones más favorables a la dimensión "locomoción" y los de Campina Grande y Feira de Santana a las menos favorables. Ribeirao Preto presentó condiciones más favorables para la dimensión "servicio de atención" seguido de los municipios Itaboraí, Feira de Santana y Campina Grande. Sao Jose do Río Preto presentó condiciones menos favorables que los otros municipios para las dimensiones "locomoción" y "servicio de atención". CONCLUSIONES: El análisis factorial permitió visualizar conjuntamente las características organizacionales de los servicios de atención a la tuberculosis. La descentralización de las acciones para el programa de salud de la familia y ambulatorio parece no presentar desempeño satisfactorio para el acceso al diagnóstico de tuberculosis, pues la forma de organización de los servicios no fue factor determinante para la garantía del acceso al diagnóstico precoz de la enfermedad.

Difficulties in the accessibility to health services for tuberculosis diagnoses in Brazilian municipalities.

OBJECTIVE: To assess difficulties in the accessibility to tuberculosis diagnoses in the health services in Brazil. METHODS: The study was carried out in 2007 and surveyed tuberculosis patients treated in the primary care services in the cities of Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Itaboraí (these three in Southeastern Brazil), Campina Grande and Feira de Santana (these two in Northeastern Brazil). The instrument 'Primary Care Assessment Tool' was used, adapted to assess tuberculosis care in Brazil. Tuberculosis diagnosis in the health services was assessed by means of multiple correspondence factor analysis. RESULTS: The accessibility to the diagnosis was represented by the dimensions 'locomotion to the health service' and 'assistance service' in the factorial plan. The patients from Ribeirão Preto and Itaboraí were associated with more favorable conditions to the dimension 'locomotion to the health service' and the patients from Campina Grande and Feira de Santana were associated with less favorable conditions. Ribeirão Preto presented more favorable conditions to the dimension 'assistance service', followed by Itaboraí, Feira de Santana and Campina Grande. São José do Rio Preto presented less favorable conditions to both dimensions, 'locomotion to the health service' and 'assistance service', compared to the other cities. CONCLUSIONS: The factor analysis enabled the visualization of the organizational characteristics of the services that provide tuberculosis care. The decentralization of the actions to the family health program and reference centers seems not to present a satisfactory performance regarding accessibility to the tuberculosis diagnosis, as the form of services organization was not a determinant factor to guarantee the accessibility to the early diagnosis of the illness.