Clinical and epidemiological features of tuberculosis in children and adolescents

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological features of tuberculosis in children and adolescents in an infectious diseases reference hospital. Method: A documental and retrospective study was carried out with 88 medical files in an infectious diseases reference hospital in the state of Ceará. Data were analyzed by univariate, bivariate and multivariate approaches. Results: It was found that, depending on the tuberculosis type, its manifestations may vary. The logistic regression model considered only pulmonary tuberculosis due to a number of observations and included female sex (95% CI: 1.4-16.3), weight loss (95% CI: 1.8-26.3), bacilloscopic screening (95% CI: 1.5-16.6) and sputum collected (95% CI: 1.4-19.4) as possible predictors. Conclusions: Children and adolescents present different manifestations of the disease depending on the tuberculosis type that affects them. Knowing the most common features of each condition could enhance early diagnosis and, consequently, result in adequate treatment and care.

Caracterización clínica epidemiológica de tuberculosis infantil, Región Sanitaria Metropolitana del Distrito Central, Honduras

“…En el presente estudio se muestra que el sexo femenino es más frecuente en el rango de edad de 15-18 años con 30.8% (4/13) casos de TB a diferencia de un estudio realizado en Cuba en 2012, que reportó el predominio del sexo masculino con un 59 % (19) casos, en el mismo rango de edad, 17 y un estudio en Brasil en 2019 en el cual fue posible observar que el 56% de los niños y adolescentes eran del sexo masculino. 18 En el estudio de Brasil antes mencionado el tipo más común fue TB pulmonar en un 59%, seguido de TB extra pulmonar 25% y mixto en un 13%. 18 Otro estudio en España muestra que el 90% presenta afectación pulmonar, 19 estudios con los cuales concuerdan con los presentes hallazgos ya que este estudio reportó 53.8% (7) casos de TB pulmonar y 46.1% ( 6) casos de TB extra pulmonar y dentro de esta clasificación 1 caso de TB ganglionar.…”

“…18 En el estudio de Brasil antes mencionado el tipo más común fue TB pulmonar en un 59%, seguido de TB extra pulmonar 25% y mixto en un 13%. 18 Otro estudio en España muestra que el 90% presenta afectación pulmonar, 19 estudios con los cuales concuerdan con los presentes hallazgos ya que este estudio reportó 53.8% (7) casos de TB pulmonar y 46.1% ( 6) casos de TB extra pulmonar y dentro de esta clasificación 1 caso de TB ganglionar.…”

Pulmonary tuberculosis in young people

“…The commonest form of was pulmonary TB (59%) and 38% was of mixed type; and the main features of the pulmonary TB were female sex, expectoration, and weight loss. HIV coinfection increases the risk of TB disease development from the latent state; and the 3 cases found were related to the mixed form of TB (odds ratio near to 14-fold) [3]. The authors stressed the role of nurses in TB control by breaking the transmission chain.…”

“…Brazilian researches have also contributed with their findings about useful determinants in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in young populations [2,3]. Dos Santos et al described the chest computed tomography (CT) changes detected in 20 immunocompetent children with ages under 36 months, in the Rio de Janeiro city [2].…”

“…The authors emphasized the importance of the CT for early diagnosis and treatment. Sousa et al retrospectively studied clinical and epidemiological findings of TB in 88 files from patients aged zero to eighteen years and hospitalized in the state of Ceará [3]. Seventy-four of the patients had more than 10 years of age, and 49 (56%) were males.…”