title: [Clinical predictors of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis.].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immediate identification of infectious tuberculosis and implementation of effective isolation measures, are a priority of the national policies for disease control.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify clinical predictor's factors related with sputum smear-positive, in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study involving 289 patients admitted consecutively with the diagnosis of tuberculosis (ICD-9-CM: 010-018) through the emergency department of a Central Hospital. The study was conducted from January 1999 to December 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  216 patients (74.7%) were identified with pulmonary tuberculosis: mean age 40.3 (SD 16.1); 77.8% males. Of these 179 (82%) were smear-positive and 157 (54.5%) had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. Of the 37 patients with sputum smearnegative 18 (48.6%) had culture positive. The clinical factors that were better related with sputum smear-positive were: cough with sputum (p = 0.031) and classic chest radiograph patterns, parenchymal consolidation (p < 0.001) and cavitation (p = 0.002). HIV co-infection wasn't associated with a higher risk of infectious tuberculosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Respiratory symptoms and classic patterns on chest radiograph, were clinical factors better related with a higher probability of sputum smear-positive. In these patients it is a good clinical practice to propose immediate isolation measures even before the results of sputum smear.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Medicina III, Hospital São Francisco Xavier (CHLO), Lisboa.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leitão
authors.forename: Cândida
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alberca
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: João
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleixo
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ceia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*