title: Clinical characteristics of tuberculosis in immigrants and autochthonous populations, in 2 hospitals of Catalonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tuberculosis is a difficult-to-control endemic, and its incidence rate in Spain is greater than that of neighboring countries. In recent years, this has been due to an increased number of foreigners infected with the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of this disease between immigrant and native populations in the last decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, retrospective (2000-2011) multicenter study in 2 urban areas of Catalonia comparing the clinical presentation (risk factors, location and infectivity), the diagnostic delay and the completion of tuberculosis treatment between immigrants and natives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 503 patients (181 immigrants and 322 Spaniards) were included. The immigrants were younger (mean age of 31 versus 46 years; P<.001), and 70.8% had lived in Spain for less than 5 years. Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most common clinical presentation (61.4%), with similar frequencies in immigrants and natives. Only osteoarticular involvement was significantly more common in immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The median diagnostic delay was 32 days, with no differences compared with the Spanish population. Proper adherence to the tuberculostatic treatment tended to be lower for immigrants (84.3% vs. 88.3%, P=.051). Treatment dropout was more common in immigrants (8 dropouts, P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main clinical characteristics and the diagnostic and therapeutic handling of immigrant patients with tuberculosis included in this study were similar to those of the native population.
authors.affiliation: Medicina Interna, Departamento Medicina, Badalona Serveis Assistencials-Hospital Municipal de Badalona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: alballesteros@bsa.cat.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.affiliation: Neumología, Departamento Medicina, Badalona Serveis Assistencials-Hospital Municipal de Badalona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oriol
authors.affiliation: Departamento Medicina Interna, Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, España.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: Neumología, Departamento Medicina, Badalona Serveis Assistencials-Hospital Municipal de Badalona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Departamento Medicina Interna, Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, España.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García Bragado
authors.affiliation: Departamento Medicina Interna, Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinyes
keywords: Diagnosis; Diagnóstico; Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Prognosis; Pronóstico; Terapéutica; Therapeutic; Tuberculosis