Patients hospitalised in Bolivia with pulmonary tuberculosis: risk factors for dying.
METHODS
The adult tuberculosis ward of a public hospital in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.


OBJECTIVE
To identify risk factors for dying among adult patients hospitalised with pulmonary tuberculosis.


METHODS
Hospital-based cross-sectional study of patients admitted consecutively with pulmonary tuberculosis during the period November 1993-February 1996.


RESULTS
A total of 466 patients were admitted to the study. There were 305 (65%) males, and the mean age was 33.1. Seventy-five patients (16%) died during hospitalisation. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the following predicting variables for death: associated pathology (odds ratio [OR] 2.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-5.36), female sex (OR 2.08; 95%CI 1.23-3.52), and number of lobes affected (OR 1.48; 95%CI 1.23-1.79).


CONCLUSIONS
These three variables predicting death allow us to identify patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis who should have priority for receiving hospital care. In Bolivia, physicians faced with a shortage of hospital beds should determine the presence or absence of this group of variables when evaluating patients for possible admission.
Abós-Hernández
R
R
Primary Health Care Division, Catalonian Health Service and International Clinical Epidemiological Network, Barcelona, Spain.
Ollé-Goig
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001838:Bolivia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy