Avaliação da prevalência de tuberculose pulmonar na penitenciária estadual de Venâncio Aires : Rio Grande do Sul.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is considered a serious public health problem and is one of the major causes of death due to infectious diseases in adults. This large number usually occurs in vulnerable populations, especially in the deprived population. In view of the above, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in prisoners in the Venâncio Aires State Penitentiary. The study was carried out from August to November 2016, being a prospective quantitative cross-sectional analytical study. This was divided in three stages, where the screening test was initially applied, with a questionnaire delivered to the 400 inmates with only questions regarding respiratory symptoms of TB. Then, those who presented the symptoms were invited to do an interview, where a questionnaire was then applied with epidemiological, prison and laboratory questions, and a sample of sputum was collected along with the interview. The exams were carried out at the 13th Regional Laboratory of the Central Laboratory of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (LACEN / RS), in Santa Cruz do Sul - RS. In which, from the sputum sample, smear and culture tests were performed. The study included 395 (98.8%) detainees, of whom 56 (14.18%) had SR. Of these, 33 (8.35%) were interviewed and had a sample of sputum collected. The individuals had a mean age of 30 years, 75.8% were white, 51.5% were married and 66.7% had incomplete elementary education. Of the samples analyzed, 2 (6.1%) had positive results for sputum smear microscopy and, 4 (12.2%) had a positive culture. The prevalence was 1000 / 100,000 inhabitants. From this study, it can be concluded that the prevalence of TB in the Venâncio Aires State Penitentiary was about 30 times higher than in the general population, mainly affecting individuals in the economically productive age group, whites and with low schooling.