[Characterization of tuberculosis among HIV/AIDS patients at a referral center in Mato Grosso do Sul]

Tuberculosis was investigated regarding its clinical presentation, treatment outcome and sociodemographic profile among HIV patients attended at a referral center in Mato Grosso do Sul, in 2003-2005. Sixty-six medical files on patients over 14 years of age and data from the Brazilian National Information System for Notifiable Diseases relating to tuberculosis and from the Mortality Information System were analyzed. Most of the patients were male, white, of low schooling level and from urban areas. Increased extrapulmonary clinical presentation was found and it correlated with the degree of immunological competence. The main reasons for ceasing treatment were cure (reached after longer-than-expected follow-up) and death (of six patients at the beginning of the tuberculosis treatment). Information gaps were found in the tuberculosis notification records and medical files. The study revealed the need for early diagnosis of tuberculosis among HIV-positive patients, improvements in medical records and follow-up beyond the recommended duration, because of changes to the clinical evolution of tuberculosis in cases of comorbidity with HIV.