[Tuberculosis in recent immigrants in Barcelona].

Med Clin (Barc)

Institut Català de la Salut, Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.

Published: April 1996

Background: The aim of the present was to study the prevalence of infection and tuberculous disease as well as the fulfillment of secondary antituberculin chemoprophylaxis in immigrants according to their geographic origin.

Patients And Methods: A descriptive study was carried out of 1,489 immigrants under the age of 35 years attended in the Tropical and Imported Disease Unit Drassanes in Barcelona, Spain from 1989 to 1994.

Results: The patients were from 79 countries, with 81.7% being males and 18.3% females (p < 0.001) of a mean age 26.1 +/- 5.7 and 23.4 +/- 7.5 years, respectively. Forty-three percent of the cases presented Mantoux test response > or = 10 mm of induration. The highest percent of positivity was observed in patients from Subsaharian Africa (52%) followed by Eastern Europeans and Asians (44%), South and Central Americans (38%) and Middle East and Northern Africa (34%) (p < 0.001). Thirty-nine percent of the 359 patients who initiated secondary antituberculin chemoprophylaxis completed the 6 months of treatment with the highest fulfillment being found in Africans (49%) followed by Americans (42%) and Asians (39%). The lowest rate was observed in the Eastern Europeans (20%) (p < 0.001). Fifty-six percent of the patients abandoned secondary antituberculin prophylaxis within the first three months. Eighteen cases of active tuberculosis were diagnosed.

Conclusions: The prevalence of tuberculous infection and disease is high immigrants in Barcelona, Spain. The fulfillment of chemoprophylaxis is low and abandoned early. These facts should be evaluated when designing prevention and control programs.

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

secondary antituberculin
12
antituberculin chemoprophylaxis
8
barcelona spain
8
eastern europeans
8
[tuberculosis immigrants
4
immigrants barcelona]
4
barcelona] background
4
background aim
4
aim study
4
study prevalence
4

Similar Publications

We report an 81-year-old male who developed severe interstitial pneumonitis on maintenance intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for in-situ carcinoma of the bladder. The patient was treated with steroids and anti-tuberculin therapy with complete response. While there is no established standard of care for the treatment of interstitial pneumonitis, recent reports describe success with combination of corticosteroids and anti-tuberculin medications.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

[Tuberculosis in recent immigrants in Barcelona].

Med Clin (Barc)

April 1996

Institut Català de la Salut, Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.

Background: The aim of the present was to study the prevalence of infection and tuberculous disease as well as the fulfillment of secondary antituberculin chemoprophylaxis in immigrants according to their geographic origin.

Patients And Methods: A descriptive study was carried out of 1,489 immigrants under the age of 35 years attended in the Tropical and Imported Disease Unit Drassanes in Barcelona, Spain from 1989 to 1994.

Results: The patients were from 79 countries, with 81.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!