Clinical-epidemiological profile of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis treated at a reference center in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex or Koch’s bacillus, primarily occurs via inhalation when an infected individual sneezes, coughs, or speaks, releasing droplets into the air. It presents in two forms: localized only in the pulmonary parenchyma (pulmonary TB), which can manifest as primary, secondary, or miliary TB, and the form that occurs outside the pulmonary parenchyma (extrapulmonary TB). The objective of this study was to describe the clinical-epidemiological profile of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis treated at the pulmonology outpatient clinic of the Reference Center for Tropical Diseases (CRDT) in the state of Amapá, Northern Brazil, during the years 2021 and 2022. To this end, a retrospective, descriptive, and quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted, with data obtained from the pulmonology outpatient clinic of CRDT in the city of Macapá, state of Amapá, in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 141 patients were analyzed, with 48.9% diagnosed in 2021 and 51.1% in 2022. The results of the study prompt initiatives such as research and studies to strengthen tuberculosis control and prevention strategies in health units in the state of Amapá and communities throughout Brazil, thereby improving the management of this still prevalent disease in our environment. There is also a perceived need for early recognition of symptomatic respiratory patients for timely diagnosis and treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality.