Post-discharge mortality in adult patients hospitalized for tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Determining outcomes and predictors of mortality following discharge from tuberculosis (TB) hospitalization is crucial to establish health policies. The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes and, secondarily, predictors of mortality following discharge from TB hospitalization. This was a prospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with TB (all forms) discharged from the hospital who began treatment during hospitalization. Out of 169 subjects included, 38 died during the 13-months of follow-up, within a median of 3 months (95%CI 1.49-4.51). In the multivariate analysis, the variables independently associated with death were age (HR=1.04, 95%CI 1.01-1.06, P=0.001), presence of sputum production (HR=2.18, 95%CI 1.09-4.34, P=0.027), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (HR=1.19, 95%CI 1.04-1.36, P=0.015). In conclusion, post-discharge mortality in subjects hospitalized for TB was 22.5%, with mean survival of 4.6 months. The mortality was higher in older subjects, in those who reported sputum production, and in those with a high comorbidity index.