Objectives. To identify factors associated with death in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases. Patients and Methodology. We evaluated prognostic factors for death from VL in São Paulo state, Brazil, from 1999 to 2005. A prognostic study nested in a clinical cohort was carried out by data analysis of 376 medical files. A comparison between VL fatal cases and survivors was performed for clinical, laboratory, and biological features. Association between variables and death was assessed by univariate analysis, and the multiple logistic regression model was used to determine adjusted odds ratio for death, controlling confounding factors. Results. Data analysis identified 53 fatal cases out of 376 patients, between 1999 and 2005 in São Paulo state. Lethality was 14.1% (53/376), being higher in patients older than fifty years. The main causes of death were sepsis, bleeding, liver failure, and cardiotoxicity due to treatment. Variables significantly associated with death were severe anemia, bleeding, heart failure, jaundice, diarrhea, fever for more than sixty days, age older than fifty years, and antibiotic use. Conclusion. Educational health measures are needed for the general population and continuing education programs for health professionals working in the affected areas with the purpose of identifying and treating early cases, thus preventing the disease evolution towards death.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the prevalences of tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis in inmates. METHODS:Observational study was carried out with inmates of a prison and a jail in the State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between March and December of 2008. Questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic and epidemiological data. Tuberculin skin testing was administered (PPD-RT23-2TU/0.1 mL), and the following laboratory tests were also performed: sputum smear examination, sputum culture, identifi cation of strains isolated and drug susceptibility testing. The variables were compared using Pearson's chi-square (χ2) association test, Fisher's exact test and the proportion test.

Introdução: A partir de 1981, a Secretaria da Saúde assumiu o tratamento e a internação de todos os casos de tuberculose no Estado de São Paulo, na região Sudeste do Brasil. Nesses anos foi observada a diminuição da incidência e da percentagem de internações por essa doença. Objetivo: Analisar a evolução dos motivos que levaram os doentes de tuberculose a internação e correlacionar esses motivos com o tempo de internação e com o tipo de alta. Material e métodos: Uma amostra de 1.805 prontuários pertencentes a cinco hospitais de tisiologia, que tratam de tuberculosos, entre os anos de 1981 e 1995 foi analisada. Resultados: O principal motivo de internação foi o mau estado geral seguido pela caquexia, tendo sido registrado o crescimento do alcoolismo. Entre os que ficaram internados menos de uma semana, destacaram-se aqueles com "outras patologias" e "insuficiência respiratória". Os motivos que levaram ao maior tempo médio de internação foram o social e a falência do tratamento. Os pacientes com insuficiência respiratória apresentaram o maior abandono e óbito. Os internados devido à intolerância medicamentosa e motivo social apresentaram maior proporção de alta a pedido; o motivo social e o alcoolismo tiveram maior taxa de alta disciplinar. O hospital que internou pacientes do sexo feminino teve o maior número de altas a pedido e os do sexo masculino se destacaram por apresentar maior freqüência de alta disciplinar e abandono.