Effectiveness and safety of clofazimine in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a nationwide report from Brazil.

Although clofazimine is used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), there is scant information on its effectiveness and safety. The aim of this retrospective, observational study was to evaluate these factors as well as the tolerability of clofazimine in populations in Brazil, where it was administered at a daily dose of 100 mg·day-1 (body weight ≥45 kg) as part of a standardised MDR-TB treatment regimen until 2006 (thereafter pyrazinamide was used).All MDR-TB patients included in the Sistema de Informação de Tratamentos Especiais da Tuberculose (SITETB) individual electronic register were analysed. The effectiveness of clofazimine was assessed by comparing the treatment outcomes of patients undergoing clofazimine-containing regimens against those undergoing clofazimine-free regimens and its safety by describing clofazimine-attributed adverse events. A total of 1446 patients were treated with clofazimine-containing regimens and 1096 with pyrazinamide-containing regimens.Although success rates were similar in patients treated with clofazimine versus those treated with pyrazinamide (880 out of 1446, 60.9%, versus 708 out of 1096, 64.6%; p=0.054), clofazimine-treated cases exhibited higher death rates due to tuberculosis than pyrazinamide-treated ones (314 out of 1446, 21.7%, versus 120 out of 1096, 10.9%) but fewer failures (78 out of 1446, 5.4%, versus 95 out of 1096, 8.7%) and less loss to follow-up (144 out of 1446, 10.0%, versus 151 out of 1096, 13.8%). No relevant differences were detected when comparing adverse events in patients treated with clofazimine-containing regimens to those treated with clofazimine-free regimens. However, the incidence of side-effects was less than previously reported (gastro-intestinal complaints: 10.5%; hyper-pigmentation: 50.2%; neurological disturbances: 9-13%).

Prevalence of patients with respiratory symptoms through active case finding and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis among prisoners and related predictors in a jail in the city of Carapicuíba, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Prisons offer a fertile setting for the transmission of tuberculosis due to the presence of many classic risk factors for both infection and disease: overcrowding, poor ventilation, and little sunlight. Prisoners are often malnourished and have poor hygiene and are more likely to have a background of alcohol and drug abuse. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of prisoners with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) through active case finding in a prisoner population of the county jail of Carapicuíba, and to study possible related variables. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, and respiratory symptomatic individuals (RSI) were detected through active case finding. Socio-demographic data were collected from inmates' judicial history using a specific questionnaire. The RSI provided sputum specimens for detection of acid fast bacilli and culture for mycobacterium identification. RESULTS: Among the 397 prisoners studied, 154 reported respiratory symptoms for more than three weeks, and were considered RSI; the variables associated with RSI were: having already been tried and incarcerated for more than six months and seven were diagnosed as PTB (1,763 cases/ 100,000 inhabitants). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RSI and PTB cases were respectively 39 and 35 times greater than the general population.

Prevalence of patients with respiratory symptoms through active case finding and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis among prisoners and related predictors in a jail in the city of Carapicuíba, Brazil / Prevalência de sintomáticos respiratórios através da busca ativa, diagnóstico de tuberculose pulmonar entre pessoas privadas de liberdade e fatores associados em uma cadeia pública no município de Carapicuíba, Brasil

BACKGROUND: Prisons offer a fertile setting for the transmission of tuberculosis due to the presence of many classic risk factors for both infection and disease: overcrowding, poor ventilation, and little sunlight. Prisoners are often malnourished and have poor hygiene and are more likely to have a background of alcohol and drug abuse. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of prisoners with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) through active case finding in a prisoner population of the county jail of Carapicuíba, and to study possible related variables. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, and respiratory symptomatic individuals (RSI) were detected through active case finding. Socio-demographic data were collected from inmates' judicial history using a specific questionnaire. The RSI provided sputum specimens for detection of acid fast bacilli and culture for mycobacterium identification. RESULTS: Among the 397 prisoners studied, 154 reported respiratory symptoms for more than three weeks, and were considered RSI; the variables associated with RSI were: having already been tried and incarcerated for more than six months and seven were diagnosed as PTB (1,763 cases/ 100,000 inhabitants). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RSI and PTB cases were respectively 39 and 35 times greater than the general population.

INTRODUÇÃO: Estabelecimentos prisionais são um campo favorável para a transmissão de tuberculose (TB), devido a presença de vários fatores de risco clássicos, tanto para a infecção como para a doença: aglomeração, falta de ventilação e de iluminação, como também o fato de os detentos receberem uma nutrição deficitária e os locais possuí-rem condições de higiene precárias; uma grande proporção dos detentos apresentam história pregressa de alcoolismo e uso de drogas ilícitas nas dependências desses estabelecimentos. OBJETIVOS: Determinar a prevalência de sintomáticos respiratórios (RSI) e casos de tuberculose pulmonar (TBP) através da busca ativa em população privada de liberdade na cadeia pública do município de Carapicuíba e estudar os prováveis fatores associados. MÉTODO: O desenho de estudo foi do tipo corte transversal, realizou-se a busca ativa de RSI e os dados sociodemográficos foram coletados em questionários específicos a partir dos processos judiciais dos participantes. Os RSI foram submetidos ao exame de baciloscopia e cultura para micobactérias do escarro. RESULTADOS: Dos 397 detentos estudados, 154 relataram tosse por mais de três semanas, considerados RSI. Os fatores associados à presença de sintomas respiratórios foram estar preso há mais de seis meses e ter sido julgado. Foram diagnosticados 7 casos de tuberculose pulmonar, 1.763 casos por 100.000 detentos. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de RSI e casos de TBP foram 39 e 35 vezes superior ao encontrado na população em geral respectivamente.