Clinical-epidemiological profile and factors related to the mortality of patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated at a reference hospital in Ceará, Northeastern Brazil.

Background: There is a significant shortage of official records that enable estimating the real prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections in Brazil. The study aims to investigate the clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological aspects of patients with NTM isolation at an infectious diseases reference hospital, and to identify factors associated with mortality.

Methods: This was an observational study in which clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory aspects were evaluated in patients with NTM isolated at care in Hospital São José, located in Northeastern Brazil, from 2005 to 2016.