[Suspected tuberculosis at a refugee center: 79 referred cases in 2 years at St. Loup Hospital].
The recent opening, close to the hospital of Saint-Loup, of an application centre for foreigners who ask for a status of refugee in Switzerland gave us the opportunity, over the last two years, to evaluate 79 patients with suspected tuberculosis. Of them 67% came from sub-Saharan Africa and 25% from Eastern Europe. A bacillary tuberculosis was found in 19 cases (24%), requiring immediate treatment and a respiratory isolation of a mean duration of 18 days. In addition, 11 cases (14%) had non-bacillary tuberculosis with negative sputum smear but positive culture. This new situation led us to implement a specific strategy of hospital hygiene.
Rieder
Philippe
P
Service de médecine resHO Hôpital de Saint-Loup. philippe.rieder@resho.ch
Zwahlen
André
A
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010356:Patient Isolation; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012036:Refugees; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology