Screening for tuberculosis on admission to highly endemic prisons? The case of Rio de Janeiro State prisons.
METHODS
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) State prisons, where tuberculosis (TB) is highly endemic.


OBJECTIVE
To measure TB prevalence, identify risk factors and ascertain the most appropriate screening method among inmates of the RJ prisons.


METHODS
Systematic chest X-rays (CXRs) were performed in 1696 male inmates of three RJ prisons. Inmates were selected for sputum examination and culture if their CXRs showed evidence of any pulmonary, pleural or mediastinal abnormality. TB diagnosis was based on bacteriological results or, if bacteriological results were negative, on response to TB treatment.


RESULTS
TB prevalence was 2.7% (46/1696), and 32/46 cases (69%) were bacteriologically confirmed, including 19 smear-positive cases. CXR lesions were extensive in 43% of cases. In the logistic regression model, TB-associated variables were being illiterate (adjusted OR 2.10, 95%CI 1.02-4.34), cough >or=3 weeks (aOR 2.85, 95%CI 1.54-5.27), history of TB treatment (aOR 3.61, 95%CI 1.76-7.39), and living in Rio City suburbs (aOR 4.54, 95%CI 1.02-20.07) and in Rio City (aOR 5.48, 95%CI 1.29-23.33). A screening based on cough >or=3 weeks followed by sputum smear examination would have identified only 9 of the 46 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
These results call for screening on admission to prison based, if feasible, on CXR, and demonstrate the urgent need to improve detention conditions and medical assistance in police remand cells.
Programa de Controle de Tuberculose, Coordenação de Gestão em Saude Penitenciária, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. alexandrasanchez5@gmail.com
A
A
Sanchez
B
B
Larouzé
A B
AB
Espinola
J
J
Pires
D
D
Capone
G
G
Gerhardt
V
V
Cesconi
M J
MJ
Procopio
M
M
Hijjar
V
V
Massari
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons / Q000379:methods*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult