Volume 8, Number 11—November 2002
Research
Tuberculosis-Related Deaths within a Well-Functioning DOTS Control Program
Table 1
Sociodemographic, clinical, bacteriologic, and therapeutic characteristics of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients according to cause of death, Orizaba, Veracruz, 1995–2000
| Variables | Died from TB (n=34) (%) | Died from other causes (n=47) (%) | Survived (n=373) (%) | p valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic | ||||
| Median age (range) | 30 (24–73) | 47 (22–70) | 40.5 (12–82) | 0.05 |
| Men | 52.9 | 76.6 | 57.9 | 0.04 |
| Indigenous origin | 20.6 | 4.3 | 16.1 | 0.07 |
| <6 years formal education | 73.5 | 76.6 | 62.2 | 0.02 |
| Rural and industrial workers | 11.8 | 25.5 | 23.6 | 0.2 |
| Previous imprisonment | 14.7 | 34.0 | 27.9 | 0.2 |
| Previous TB treatment | 47.1 | 34.0 | 14.2 | <0.0001 |
| Previous hospitalization | 58.8 | 51.1 | 45.6 | 0.2 |
| Residence in shelters | 5.9 | 10.6 | 5.1 | 0.3 |
| Alcohol use | 38.2 | 66.0 | 43.7 | 0.005 |
| Household crowding | 47.1 | 27.7 | 37.5 | 0.2 |
| Household with earthen floor | 20.6 | 10.6 | 16.6 | 0.4 |
| Clinical | ||||
| HIV infection | 8.8 | 10.6 | .3 | <0.0001 |
| Hepatic cirrhosis | 0 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.06 |
| Body mass index (<18) | 47.1 | 27.7 | 20.4 | <0.0001 |
| Hemoptysis | 26.5 | 38.3 | 37.8 | 0.5 |
| Fever | 44.1 | 61.7 | 44 | 0.04 |
| Night sweats | 58.8 | 59.6 | 57.6 | 0.2 |
| Weight loss (>15 %) | 47.1 | 46.8 | 29.2 | 0.002 |
| Radiologic nodes | 5.9 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 0.9 |
| Cavities | 44.1 | 25.5 | 33.2 | 0.2 |
| Median time interval between initiation of symptoms and treatment (range in days) | 17 (1–212) | 8 (0–158) | 5 (0–322) | 0.004 |
| Median time interval between diagnosis and treatment (range in days) | 141.5 (78–991) | 126 (4–439) | 99.5 (4–1,723) | 0.01 |
| Bacteriologic | ||||
| Resistance to isoniazid and rifampin | 29.4 | 17.0 | 2.1 | <0.0001 |
| Other resistance | 11.8 | 19.1 | 12.9 | 0.2 |
| <10 bacilli per 100 fields | 79.4 | 87.2 | 86.1 | 0.5 |
| Median time interval between treatment and sputum conversion (range in days) | 95 (35–530) | 44 (19–182) | 42.5 (15–348) | 0.03 |
| Treatment outcome | ||||
| Cure | 5.9 | 61.7 | 87.4 | <0.0001 |
| Failure | 20.6 | 10.6 | 2.1 | <0.0001 |
| Default | 32.4 | 10.6 | 6.7 | <0.0001 |
| Retreatment | 17.6 | 23.4 | 5.4 | <0.0001 |
aChi square test, analysis of variance test.
