Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia (Apr 2009)

Comunicantes domiciliares jovens de pacientes com TB pulmonar na região da grande Vitória (ES): um estudo de coorte Juvenile household contacts aged 15 or younger of patients with pulmonary TB in the greater metropolitan area of Vitória, Brazil: a cohort study

  • Ethel Leonor Noia Maciel,
  • Luiza Werner Heringer Vieira,
  • Lucília Pereira Dutra Molina,
  • Rosana Alves,
  • Thiago Nascimento do Prado,
  • Reynaldo Dietze

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1806-37132009000400010
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 35, no. 4
pp. 359 – 366

Abstract

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OBJETIVO: Comparar aspectos clínicos, radiológicos e laboratoriais de contatos domiciliares, menores de 15 anos, de pacientes com cultura positiva para Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se um estudo de coorte comparando crianças e adolescentes (OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical, radiological and laboratory aspects of household contacts, aged 15 or younger, of patients presenting a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. METHODS: This was a cohort study comparing children and adolescents (< 15 years of age) who were household contacts of TB cases presenting positive sputum smear and positive culture results (exposed group, n = 100) or negative sputum smear and positive culture results (unexposed group, n = 55). All of the contacts were evaluated via the TB control program of a university hospital in the city of Vitória, Brazil, between July of 2003 and December of 2006. RESULTS: Of the 155 minors evaluated, 87 (56.1%) were female and 68 (43.9%) were male. Of those 155, 28 (18%) were aged 5 or younger, 62 (40%) were aged 5-9, and 65 (42%) were aged 10-15. Symptoms of the disease were found in 17 (17%) of the 100 contacts in the exposed group and in 9 (16%) of the 55 in the unexposed group (p = 0.86). Chest X-rays showed alterations in 20 (21%) and 2 (4%) of the contacts in the exposed and unexposed groups, respectively (RR = 6.9; p = 0.004). In the exposed and unexposed groups, respectively, 35 (38%) and 10 (18%) of the contacts presented positive results in the tuberculin skin test (RR = 2.8; p = 0.01). Of the 100 contacts in the exposed group, 5 (5%) were diagnosed with TB, which was not diagnosed in any of those in the unexposed group (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the incidence of TB, it is of note that there is a greater risk of becoming infected with M. tuberculosis if the bacterial load of the index case is high.

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