ABSTRACT
SETTING: 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. DESIGN: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
Subject(s)
Mass Screening/methods , Prisons/methods , Tuberculosis/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Bacteriological Techniques , Brazil/epidemiology , Educational Status , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Prisoners/statistics & numerical data , Radiography, Thoracic/methods , Risk Factors , Sputum/microbiology , Tuberculosis/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Foi realizada uma investigacao domiciliar junto aos familiares de 154 criancas menores de 5 anos que morreram por pneumonia em Porto Alegre, entre abril de 1987 e marco de 1988; incluiu 91,67% dos obitos que ocorreram no periodo. Detectaram-se diferencas entre as informacoes constantes na Declaracao de Obito e as obtidas atraves das entrevistas. O numero de mortes domiciliares foi de 69 (44,80%) casos e 19 (12,34%) criancas morreram antes de 24 horas deinternacao. Ocorreram 66 (42,86%) obitos em hospital. Discutem-se as causas e suas possiveis associacoes entre elas para a ocorrencia da morte ser hospitalar ounao, fazendo uma extrapolacao a outros estados do pais .
