Causas de morte de doentes internados por tuberculose

ABSTRACTAlthough tuberculosis is a curable disease, some patients still died from it. We analysed the cause of death 26 patients who died with tuberculosis in our Department.Male (88%) and caucasian (81 %) with a mean age of 54.4years old were the most frequent patients in our review. Fifty Percent were alcoholic and bad a previous history of tuberculosis. 42% patients had associated disease, predominantly COPD. HIV seropositivity existed in 41.6%, disseminated disease in 54% and 62% had a very extense pulmonary tuberculosis. Among causes of death, in 10 patients it was due to other causes and in 16 tuberculosis was admitted as the cause of death: 5 patients were HIV positive, 6 had disseminated disease, 4 had radiologically very extensive and 3 patients had more than 75 years old.Among our patients there was great number of alcoholic and drug-abusers probably without treatment compliance justifying the high mortality. Mortality was greater among disseminated tuberculsis patients and patients with very extensive pulmonary tuberculosis