RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIM: In the last decades, the inhabitants of the Romanian region known as Jiu Valley underwent changes in their social and economic status which determined changes in behaviour and health, which influenced their general health condition. One of the consequences was the exacerbation of tuberculosis. In order to control this situation, there was a need to increase the efficiency of diagnosis. This optimization can be reached by a better detection of mycobacterium infection, optimal isolation of strains and identification of the resistance of strains to antituberculous drugs. METHODS: In order to identify the best diagnostic modality, we compared the efficacy of the classical bacteriological diagnosis, still performed in the field, to the modern methods of molecular biology. The study included two groups, one represented by 213 patients who were investigated using the classical bacteriological methods, and 49 who were diagnosed using the PCR method. RESULTS: The tuberculosis patients who have been evaluated only with the classical bacteriological methods where diagnosed as TB positive and treated according to the national guidelines, which are in agreement with the international guidelines. The PCR diagnostic methods had a superior diagnostic value compared to the traditional bacteriological method. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed the superiority of the modern molecular biology methods based on PCR. However the bacteriological method remains useful in areas where PCR cannot be afforded.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIM: In the last two and a half decades the dynamics of tuberculosis has been modelled by social and economic conditions, with consequences on the life style, and effects on the onset and evolution of the disease. The Jiu Valley is an area with social problems: mining, mines closing down and ceasing activity, poverty. We looked for a relationship between changes of life style in the Jiu Valley and the dynamics of tuberculosis. METHODS: We studied 528 patients who asked for medical services in different hospitals in the Jiu Valley between 2010-2013. We structurally characterized this group, we identified the characteristics of life style, and we assessed the health state, in particular the relation with tuberculosis. RESULTS: We found out that the quality of life was influenced by the health state, especially by tuberculous disease. Quality of life was influenced by the life style, professional factors and their long term consequences. The study evidenced a strong relationship between apparently very different factors such as life style, professional factors on one side and those characterizing tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first detailed epidemiological data on tuberculosis in an economically poor area, the Jiu Valley.
