Performance indicators of DOT at home for tuberculosis control in a large city, SP, Brazil

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics associated with unfavorable tuberculosis treatment outcomes in TB-HIV co-infected patients in Brazil: a hierarchical polytomous analysis

Background

TB patients co-infected with HIV have worse treatment outcomes than non-coinfected patients. How clinical characteristics of TB and socioeconomic characteristics influence these outcomes is poorly understood. Here, we use polytomous regression analysis to identify clinical and epidemiological characteristics associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes among TB-HIV co-infected patients in Brazil.

Methods

TB-HIV cases reported in the Brazilian information system (SINAN) between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2011 were identified and categorized by TB treatment outcome (cure, default, death, and development of MDR TB). We modeled treatment outcome as a function of clinical characteristics of TB and patient socioeconomic characteristics by polytomous regression analysis. For each treatment outcome, we used cure as the reference outcome.

Results

Between 2001 and 2011, 990,017 cases of TB were reported in SINAN, of which 93,147 (9.4%) were HIV co-infected. Patients aged 15–19 (OR = 2.86; 95% CI: 2.09–3.91) and 20–39 years old (OR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.81–2.92) were more likely to default on TB treatment than those aged 0–14 years old. In contrast, patients aged ≥60 years were more likely to die from TB (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.43–3.44) or other causes (OR = 2.86; 95% CI: 2.14–3.83). Black patients were more likely to default on TB treatment (OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.22–1.44) and die from TB (OR = 1.50; 95% CI: 1.29–1.74). Finally, alcoholism was associated with all unfavorable outcomes: default (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.73–2.17), death due to TB (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.25–1.71), death due to other causes (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.21–1.57) and MDR-TB (OR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.46–3.58).

Conclusions

Socio-economic vulnerability has a significant effect on treatment outcomes among TB-HIV co-infected patients in Brazil. Enhancing social support, incorporation of alcohol abuse screening and counseling into current TB surveillance programs and targeting interventions to specific age groups are interventions that could improve treatment outcomes.

A coordenação da assistência no controle da tuberculose

Estudo epidemiológico descritivo que analisa a coordenação da assistência ao doente de Tuberculose em Serviços de Atenção Primária segundo 23 doentes, 16 profissionais e 17 gestores em Ribeirão Preto-SP, através de instrumento adaptado para avaliar a tuberculose. De acordo com os informantes, a coordenação da assistência ao doente em tratamento pela equipe do programa de controle da tuberculose foi considerada satisfatória. No entanto, quando há necessidade de encaminhar o doente a outros pontos de atenção, a coordenação da assistência apresenta pontos deficientes como descontinuidade do fluxo de comunicação e participação incipiente do doente no processo de atenção, havendo necessidade de aumentar a responsabilização pelo cuidado do doente e estimulá-lo como agente ativo do processo.

Accessibility to tuberculosis treatment: assessment of health service performance

The aim of this study was to assess the accessibility of patients to the treatment of tuberculosis in Ribeirão Preto, countryside of São Paulo State. Evaluation study type, with a quantity approach. Interviews with 100 patients initiated on anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy between 2006-2007 were conducted, using a structured questionnaire based on the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT). Data were analyzed through variance analysis. There was a positive feedback regarding to organizational accessibility, however, the performance of health services has been unsatisfactory in providing transportation vouchers and in addressing the need to use transport for displacement to the health unit, resulting in indirect costs to patients. The services with the highest number of patients treated were those with higher irregularity in the conduct of home visits, showing that the availability of resources (human, material and time) and the organization of care may influence the accessibility to treatment.

Household members and health care workers as supervisors of tuberculosis treatment

OBJECTIVE

To compare tuberculosis cure rates among patients supervised by household members or health care workers.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of 171 patients treated by the program in Vitoria, Southeastern Brazil, from 2004 to 2007. Each patient was followed-up for six months until the end of the treatment. Of the patients studied, a household member supervised 59 patients and healthcare workers supervised 112 patients. Patients' sociodemographic and clinic data were analyzed. Differences between groups were assessed using chi-square test or Student's t-test. Significance level was set at 5%.

RESULTS

Most patients had smear positive, culture confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Two patients were HIV-positive. There were more illiterate patients in the healthcare-supervised group, in comparison to those supervised by their families (p=0.01). All patients supervised by a household member were cured compared to 90% of the patients supervised by health care workers (p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Successful tuberculosis treatment was more frequent when supervised by household members.

Nursing’s role in tuberculosis control: a discussion from the perspective of equity

This paper aims to analyze nurses’ role in tuberculosis control from the perspective of equity in the context of Latin American countries. Tuberculosis is frequently associated with poverty, but many other determinants play an important role in its prevalence. Latin American countries fight against the presence of this illness and nursing professionals play a protagonist role in TB control, proposing comprehensive interventions in different spheres - individuals, families and society. The focus of nursing intervention ranges from public policy proposals, based on epidemiological research, through the establishment of multi-sector programs, to direct care and client education at the operative level. Different professional nursing institutions can play a decisive role in this problem’ integral approach, both in national and international scopes. This requires the establishment of educative, social, technical and politically integrated support networks.

O vínculo na atenção à saúde: revisão sistematizada na literatura, Brasil (1998-2007)

O objetivo do estudo foi levantar produções científicas brasileiras que se relacionavam à dimensão vínculo na atenção primária à saúde. O estudo abrangeu o período de 1998 a 2007, a partir das bases de dados LILACS e SciELO por meio das palavras-chave: atenção primária à saúde, acolhimento, tuberculose (indexados), vínculo, adesão, saúde, atenção básica, longitudinalidade e abandono (não indexados). Foram selecionadas 50 produções que posteriormente foram categorizadas. Os achados mostraram que houve um interesse maior pela temática após o ano de 2004, predominando publicações em periódicos que valorizam a saúde coletiva e estudos que se inserem no nível primário de atenção. Entende-se que o vínculo é fator importante para a atenção à saúde e tende a melhorar o conhecimento dos reais problemas da população atendida pelos serviços, além de facilitar o relacionamento dos usuários com os profissionais que os atendem.