[The characteristics of patients who have died from tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the characteristics of the patients died from tuberculosis (TB) in our hospital.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the records of the 46 patients died in-hospital from TB between january, 1992 and june, 1997. MEAN AGE: 55 +/- 19 years (19-85). 35 (76%) males and 11 (24%) females.


RESULTS



METHODS
pulmonary (63%), disseminated (26%) and extrapulmonary (11%) TB. 87% of the patients had previous comorbidity (35% were seropositive for HIV). The only differences between HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected cases were a greater proportion of normal chest roentgenograms and of toxicity from therapy in seropositive patients. The disease was diagnosed at death in 17% of cases. Chemoprophylaxis had not been used in 5 patients, although they fulfilled criteria for receiving it. Poor compliance with treatment was noted in 6 (13%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
We have found a high prevalence of comorbidity in these patients, which might account for the mortality. Delays in diagnosis, misuse of chemoprophylaxis and poor compliance with therapy might also be implicated in some cases.
Golpe Gómez
R
R
Sección de Neumología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander.
Cifrián Martínez
J M
JM
Fernández Rozas
S M
SM
Fernández Infante
B
B
Marín Martínez
B
B
Alonso Martín
M A
MA
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality