Tuberculosis: health care and surveillance in prisons.

Objective: To identify tuberculosis-related health care and surveillance actions in Prison Health Units.

Method: Cross-sectional study, of quantitative, exploratory and descriptive character. We visited 13 Teams of Prison Health, and nurses and technicians were interviewed regarding epidemiological surveillance instruments, physical structure and materials.

Results: Search for respiratory symptoms in admission was reported by 6 (46.2%) of the teams, and the smear microscopy was the most requested test. The Logbook of Respiratory Symptoms and the Logbook for Monitoring Tuberculosis Cases were used in 7 (53.8%) institutions. Two of them (15.4%) had a location for sputum collection and 1 (7.7%) had a radiographer. The Directly Observed Therapy was reported in 7 (53.8%) units.

Conclusion: Health care actions related to the search for respiratory symptoms and Directly Observed Therapy should be expanded, as well as surveillance actions and recording in official documents of the National Tuberculosis Control Program.