O escarro induzido no diagnóstico das doenças pulmonares em pacientes positivos ao vírus da imunodeficiência humana

Yield of HIV-associated tuberculosis during intensified case finding in resource-limited settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Intensified case finding is the regular screening for evidence of tuberculosis in people infected with HIV, at high risk of HIV, or living in congregate settings. We systematically reviewed studies of intensified case finding published between January, 1994, and April, 2009. In 78 eligible studies, the number of people with tuberculosis detected during intensified case finding varied substantially between countries and target groups of patients. Median prevalence of newly diagnosed tuberculosis was 0.7% in population-based surveys, 2.2% in contact-tracing studies, 2.3% in mines, 2.3% in programmes preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, 2.5% in prisons, 8.2% in medical and antiretroviral treatment clinics, and 8.5% in voluntary counselling and testing services. Metaregression analysis of studies that included only people with HIV showed that for each increment in national prevalence of tuberculosis of 100 cases per 100 000 population, intensified case finding identified an additional one case per 100 screened individuals (p=0.03). Microbiological sputum examination of all individuals without prior selection by symptom screening yielded an additional four cases per 100 individuals screened (p=0.05). Data on the use of serial screening, treatment outcomes in actively identified cases of tuberculosis, and cost-effectiveness, however, were lacking. Concerted action is needed to develop intensified case finding as an important method for control of tuberculosis.

Bacteriological analysis of induced sputum for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the clinical practice of a general tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVE

To determine the diagnostic sensitivity of bacteriological analyses in induced sputum (IS) for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and to identify the clinical characteristics associated with the confirmed diagnosis, as well as to determine the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy carried out when IS tests negative for AFB in smear microscopy.

METHODS

A retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients suspected of having active pulmonary TB and referred to our clinic for sputum induction. We consecutively reviewed the laboratory data of all patients submitted to sputum induction between June of 2003 and January of 2006, as well as their electronic medical records. In addition, the results of the bacteriological analysis of bronchoscopic specimens collected from the patients whose AFB tests were negative in IS were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 417 patients included in the study, 83 (19.9%) presented IS samples that tested positive for TB (smear microscopy or culture). In the logistic regression analysis, radiological findings of cavitation (OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.9-7.6) and of miliary infiltrate (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.6-8.6) showed the strongest association with the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. In 134 patients, bronchoscopy was carried out after negative AFB results in IS and added 25 (64.1%) confirmed diagnoses of pulmonary TB.

CONCLUSIONS

In our clinical practice, the frequency of confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary TB using IS (19.9%) was lower than that previously reported in controlled trials. Cavitation and miliary infiltrate increase the diagnostic probability of pulmonary TB using IS. The use of bronchoscopy when IS tests negative for AFB significantly increases sensitivity in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB.