Mortality of patients hospitalized for active tuberculosis in Israel.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary tuberculosis continues to cause of mortality, particularly in developing countries. Despite modern anti-TB treatment, the elderly and immigrants from TB-endemic countries are at risk. Multidrug resistance has yet to be resolved..


OBJECTIVE
To determine the mortality rate and predictors of mortality among patients hospitalized with TB in Israel.


METHODS
We evaluated the medical records of 461 patients with active pulmonary TB who were hospitalized in the respiratory care department during the 5 year period 2000-2004. Data included demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological findings, drug resistance as well as adverse reactions to anti-TB treatment.


RESULTS
Three main ethno-geographic groups were observed: 253 patients from the former USSR, 130 from Ethiopia, and 54 of Israeli origin (as well as 24 residents of other countries). Of the 461 patients 65 (13%) died in hospital. The factors that were best predictors of mortality were older age, ischemic heart disease, cachexia, prior corticosteroid treatment, hypoalbuminemia and pleural effusion (P < 0.005 for all). The ethno-geographic factor and the presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria had no significant effect on mortality in our study group.


CONCLUSIONS
The mortality rate in our study was relatively low, and there was no significant difference between the three ethno-geographic groups.
Lubart
Emily
E
Department of Respiratory Care, Shmuel Harofe Medical Center, Beer Yaakov, Israel.
Lidgi
Moshe
M
Leibovitz
Arthur
A
Rabinovitz
Catherine
C
Segal
Refael
R
D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000401:mortality*; D014586:USSR / Q000208:ethnology