Objective: To evaluate risk factors associated with asthma symptoms in adolescents in the 13- to 14-year age bracket. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving adolescents enrolled in randomly selected public schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and conducted with the use of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and its supplementary module for risk factor assessment. The ISAAC questionnaire was completed by the students themselves, whereas the supplementary questionnaire was completed by their parents or legal guardians. Variables showing p ≤ 0.25 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. Stepwise regression with backward elimination was used for variable selection. Results: We evaluated 375 adolescents, 124 (33.1%) of whom had asthma symptoms. The final multivariate analysis model revealed that asthma symptoms were associated with birth weight < 2,500 g (p < 0.001), day care center or nursery attendance (p < 0.002), maternal history of asthma (p < 0.001), contact with animals during the first year of life (p < 0.027), current contact with animals outside the home (dogs, cats, or farm animals; p < 0.005), and more than 20 cigarettes per day smoked by parents or other household members (p < 0.02). Conclusions: Exposure to animals in and outside the home is associated with asthma symptoms, as is environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Families, health professionals, and administrators of health care facilities should take that into account in order to prevent asthma and reduce asthma morbidity.

Keywords: Asthma; Risk factors; Adolescent.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of and factors associated with smoking experimentation among adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional study, using a specific questionnaire to interview 2,883 students from 7th to 10th grade in schools located in the urban area of the city of Cuiabá, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Prevalence was estimated, and the principal factors related to cigarette experimentation were analyzed. Subsequently, a hierarchical logistic model was used to describe the chances of cigarette experimentation related to the variables being investigated. Results: The prevalence of cigarette experimentation was 30.2%. In the final model of the analysis, the main variables related to cigarette experimentation were low maternal level of education (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.72-3.47); low socioeconomic level (OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01-1.93); studying in a public school (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.22-2.00); being in 10th grade (OR = 3.45; 95% CI: 2.63-4.54); attending school in the evening (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.85-3.22); having divorced parents (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02-1.49); having been held back for one school year (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.78-2.70); having friends who smoke (OR = 3.75; 95% CI: 2.99-4.70) having a sibling who smokes (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.82-3.27); and being older (age 17-19 years) (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.39-4.17). Conclusions: A high proportion of adolescents have experimented with smoking. After adjusting for confounding variables, the factors most strongly associated with cigarette experimentation were maternal level of education, age of the adolescent, attending school in the evening, having been held back for one school year and having a sibling who smokes. Preventive measures must be directed at adolescents in schools in order to control smoking.

Keywords: Smoking; Adolescent; Students; Risk factors.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of factors associated with difficult-to-control asthma. Methods: Patients with severe asthma were selected from the outpatient asthma clinic of the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas. The patients were divided into two groups: controlled severe asthma and difficult-to-control severe asthma. After new attempts to optimize the severe asthma treatment, a questionnaire was applied, and additional tests for factors associated with difficult-to-control asthma, such as environmental and occupational exposure, smoking history, social factors, rhinitis/sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea, congestive heart failure (CHF), pulmonary embolism, cystic fibrosis, vocal cord dysfunction, α-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and Churg-Strauss syndrome, were performed. Results: 77 patients with severe asthma were selected, of which 47 suffered from hard-to-control asthma, being 68.1% female, with mean age of 44.4 years (±14.4), and forced expiratory volume in one second of 54.7% (±18.3). The most factors most often associated with difficult-to-control asthma were noncompliance with treatment (68%), rhinitis/sinusitis (57%), GERD (49%), environmental exposure (34%), occupational exposure (17%), smoking history (10%), obstructive sleep apnea (2%), and CHF (2%). At least one of these factors was identified in every case. Conclusions: Noncompliance with treatment was the factor most often associated with difficult-to-control asthma, underscoring the need to investigate comorbidities in the evaluation of patients with this form of the disease.

Keywords: Asthma; Smoking; Gastroesophageal reflux; Patient compliance; Rhinitis; Sinusitis.

Objective: To identify, characterize, and quantify associations of various factors with quality of life (QoL) in patients with asthma, according to the pharmacotherapy employed. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 49 patients (≥ 18 years of age) with severe uncontrolled or refractory asthma treated at a specialized outpatient clinic of the Brazilian Unified Health Care System, regularly using high doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) or other medications, and presenting comorbidities. At a single time point, QoL was assessed with the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). The overall AQLQ score and those of its domains were correlated with demographic variables (gender and age); Asthma Control Questionnaire score; pharmacotherapy (initial IC dose, inhaler devices, and polytherapy); and comorbidities. Results: Better AQLQ scores were associated with asthma control-overall (OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.004-0.341; p < 0.001), "symptoms" domain (OR = 0.086; 95% CI: 0.016-0.476; p = 0.001), and "emotional function" domain (OR = 0.086; 95% CI: 0.016-0.476; p = 0.001)-and with IC dose ≤ 800 µg-"activity limitation" domain (OR = 0.249; 95% CI: 0.070-0.885; p = 0.029). Worse AQLQ scores were associated with polytherapy-"activity limitation" domain (OR = 3.651; 95% CI: 1.061-12.561; p = 0.036)-and number of comorbidities ≤ 5-"environmental stimuli" domain (OR = 5.042; 95% CI: 1.316-19.317; p = 0.015). Conclusions: Our results, the importance of this issue, and the lack of studies taking pharmacotherapy into consideration warrant longitudinal studies to establish a causal relationship between the identified factors and QoL in asthma patients.

Keywords: Asthma; Asthma/drug therapy; Quality of life; Medication therapy management.

Objective: To estimate the evolution of the prevalence of asthma and wheezing among schoolchildren in Brazil from 2012 to 2015, as well as to identify factors associated with both conditions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian National School-Based Adolescent Health Survey for 2012 and 2015. To characterize the evolution of the prevalence of asthma and wheezing, we used linear regression with weighted-least-squares estimation and presented the annual percent change (APC). Results: During the study period, there was a reduction in the prevalence of wheezing, from 23.2% in 2012 to 22.4% in 2015 (APC, −0.27). The prevalence of asthma increased from 12.4% in 2012 to 16.0% in 2015 (APC, 1.20). The increase in the prevalence of asthma was greatest in the southern region of the country (APC, 2.17). Having any history of smoking and having consumed alcohol in the last 30 days were factors that influenced the prevalence of wheezing and the prevalence of a self-reported diagnosis of asthma during the two years evaluated. Conclusions: There has been an increase in the prevalence of asthma in recent years in Brazil. Our data underscore the importance of improving health strategies and policies aimed at the control of asthma.

Keywords: Asthma/epidemiology; Respiratory sounds; Students.

Objective: To describe the clinical features and to identify factors associated with significant severe asthma in samples of patients followed in a reference center in Salvador. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 473 adults, regularly followed in the "Asthma Control Program" in Bahia (Programa de Controle da Asma e da Rinite Alérgica na Bahia (ProAR)), reassessed systematically between 2013 and 2015. The patients were admitted for meeting previous criteria of severe asthma and were reclassified according to the most current definition proposed by a joint document of the "European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society" (ERS/ATS) (ERS/ATS 2014). Results: Only 88/473 (18%) were reclassified as having severe asthma by ERS/ATS criteria (SA-ERS/ATS). Among these patients, 87% were women, 48% obese, with a median Body Mass Index (BMI) of 29 kg·m2 (IQ 26-34), furthermore, 99% had symptoms of chronic rhinitis and 83% had symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). None of the 88 patients claimed to be current smokers. The most frequently corticosteroids were beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) (88%) and budesonide (BUD) (69%). The majority of the evaluations reported adequate adherence (77%), however, the minority (0,6%) detected serious errors in inhalation techniques. The median Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) associated with post-bronchodilator test (post-BD) was 67% predicted (IQ 55-80). The median number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood was lower in patients with SA-ERS/ATS (258 cells/mm3 (IQ 116-321) than in the other patients studied [258 cells/mm3 (IQ 154-403)]. Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms were associated with a higher severity [OR = 2.2 95% CI (1.2-4.2)]. Conclusion: In this group of patients, symptoms of GERD were associated with SA-ERS/ATS and eosinophil count > 260 cells/mm3 were associated 42% with less chance SA-ERS/ATS

Keywords: Asthma; Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); Eosinophils; Biomarkers.

Objectives: To determine the trend of self-reported asthma diagnosed prevalence and to describe the factors associated with asthma in Brazilian adults. Method: Epidemiological cross-sectional study based on databases analysis from three national household surveys: Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) 2003, PNAD 2008 and Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) 2013. Participants between 18-45 years old were included. Trend analysis of asthma diagnosed prevalence was conducted using a logistic general linear model. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to select factors significantly associated with asthma prevalence. Results: Asthma diagnosed prevalence was 3.6% (2003), 3.7% (2008) and 4.5% (2013), showing a statistically significant increased trend. Asthma diagnosed prevalence also increased when analysed by gender (annual change for men: 2.47%, p < 0.003; women: 2.16%, p < 0.001), urban area (annual change for urban: 2.15%, p < 0.001; rural: 2.69%, p = 0.072), healthcare insurance status (annual change without healthcare insurance: 2.18%, p < 0.001; with healthcare insurance: 1.84%, p = 0.014), and geographic regions (annual change North: 4.68%, p < 0.001; Northeast: 4.14%, p < 0.001; and Southeast: 1.84%, p = 0.025). Female gender, obesity, living in urban areas and depression were associated with asthma diagnosed prevalence. Discussion: PNAD and PNS surveys allow for a very large, representative community-based sample of the Brazilian adults to investigate the asthma prevalence. From 2003 to 2013, the prevalence of self-reported physician diagnosis of asthma increased, especially in the North and Northeast regions. Gender, region of residence, household location (urban/rural), obesity, and depression diagnosis seem to play significant roles in the epidemiology of asthma in Brazil.

Keywords: Adults; Asthma; Logistic models; Prevalence; Risk factors.

Objective: To identify socioeconomic factors and clinical factors associated with the development of complications in preschool children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study involving children (12-59 months of age) diagnosed with CAP and admitted to the pediatric wards of two hospitals in the metropolitan area of Campinas, Brazil. Children with cystic fibrosis, heart disease, pulmonary malformations, neurological disorders, or genetic diseases were excluded. The diagnosis of CAP was based on clinical and radiological findings. Data were collected from the medical records and with a semi-structured questionnaire. The subjects were divided into two groups (complicated and uncomplicated CAP). Socioeconomic and clinical variables were compared, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Of the 63 children included, 29 and 34, respectively, presented with uncomplicated and complicated CAP. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups regarding age at admission, gestational age, birth weight, gender, or socioeconomic variables. Significant differences were found between the groups regarding history of pneumonia (p = 0.03), previous antibiotic therapy (p = 0.004), time elapsed since the onset of CAP (p = 0.01), duration of fever prior to admission (p < 0.001), duration of antibiotic therapy (p < 0.001), and length of hospital stay (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, only duration of fever prior to admission remained in the model (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.36-2.84; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Biological variables, especially duration of fever prior to admission, appear to be associated with the development of complications in children with CAP.

Keywords: Community-acquired infections; Pneumonia; Pleural Effusion.

Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIV) in preventing Endotracheal Intubation (ETI) in a heterogeneous pediatric population and identify predictive factors associated with NIV failure in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Methods: Prospective non-randomized clinical trial conducted with patients aged 0-10 years, hospitalized in a PICU with NIV indication, who presented acute or chronic respiratory failure. Demographic data and clinical and cardiorespiratory parameters were evaluated, and patients who did not progress to ETI in 48 h after withdrawal of NIV were classified as "success group", whereas those who progressed to ETI were included in the "failure group". Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the predictive factors of failure to prevent ETI. Results: Fifty-two patients, 27 (51.9%) males, with median age of 6 (1-120) months were included in the study. When evaluating the effectiveness of NIV, 36 (69.2%) patients were successful, with no need for ETI. After analyzing the predictive factors associated with failure, patients with tachypnea after 2 h of NIV were 4.8 times more likely to require ETI in 48 h. Regardless of outcome, heart (p<0.001) and respiratory (p<0.001) rates decreased and oxygen saturation (p<0.001) increased after 2 h of NIV. Conclusion: We concluded that use of NIV was effective in the studied population, with significant improvement in cardiorespiratory parameters after 2 h of NIV, and that tachypnea was a predictive factor of failure to prevent ETI.

Keywords: Noninvasive ventilation; Intensive care units; Children, Pediatric; Artificial ventilation.

Objective: To determine the influence that hospital admission of suckling infants with asthma has on their risk for future admissions for the same cause. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, in which the charts of 202 patients, all less than fifteen years of age, were evaluated. All of the patients had been treated as outpatients in a pediatric pulmonology clinic and had been admitted to the hospital on one or more occasions. A multivariate analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the risk factors associated with multiple hospitalizations. Results: Virtually all of the patients evaluated were hospitalized a second time within 18 months of the first hospitalization. Among the patients first hospitalized at = 12 months of age, the second admission occurred sooner than did that recorded for those first hospitalized at > 12 months of age (p = 0.001). The risk factors found to be associated with multiple hospital admissions were as follows: age at first admission = 12 months (odds ratio: 2.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.18-5.48); age at first admission between 13 and 24 months (odds ratio: 3.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.31-9.63); and severity of asthma symptoms (odds ratio: 3.86; 95% confidence interval: 2.02-7.40). Conclusion: After the first hospitalization, children with asthma should be closely monitored, since the risk of subsequent admissions is elevated in the first months following discharge, especially among those of less than two years of age. Health care facilities should be organized to confront this problem appropriately and should dispense prophylactic medication more freely.

Keywords: Asthma; Child, hospitalized; Patient readmission; Risk factors

Objective: To evaluate, for the first time, the characteristics of patients with acute asthma who died during hospitalization in Spain and Latin America, as well as to evaluate factors associated with asthma mortality. Methods: A retrospective review of hospital records of 3,038 patients with asthma (aged 15-69 years) admitted to nineteen tertiary care hospitals in Spain and in eight Latin-American countries in 1994, 1999, and 2004. Results: There were 25 deaths (0.8% of all hospitalized patients) during the three years studied. Although there was a tendency towards a reduction in in-hospital mortality (from 0.97% in 1994 to 0.69% in 2004), there were no significant differences in terms of year or geographic area. Intensive care unit admissions and cases of out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest increased the mortality rates to 8.3% and 24.7%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that gender (female; OR = 25.5; 95% CI: 2.6-246.8), out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (OR = 22.5; 95% CI: 4.4-114.7), and arterial pH < 7.3 during hospitalization (OR = 1.0; 95% CI: 1.1-3.4) were strongly associated with asthma mortality. Conclusions: Our study on mortality in patients hospitalized for acute severe asthma showed that deaths occurred almost exclusively in female patients and in patients who suffered out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest, confirming previous findings from studies conducted in developed countries.

Keywords: Asthma/mortality; Asthma/epidemiology; Hospitalization; Hospital mortality.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders in adolescents with asthma and to compare it with that of adolescents without asthma. Methods: A transversal study using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, administered to adolescents with or without asthma, ranging from 14 to 16 years of age and randomly selected from schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Results: The prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders in adolescents with and without asthma was 20.4% (95% CI: 14.5-27.8%) and 9.0% (95% CI: 6.1-12.8%), respectively. Among adolescents with asthma, 56.6% (95% CI: 48.3-64.5%) presented normal scores, and 23.0% (95% CI 16.8-30.7%) presented borderline scores. Among adolescents without asthma, 75.0% (95% CI: 69.7-79.6%) presented normal scores, and 16.0% (95% CI: 12.2-20.7%) presented borderline scores. The median total score on the questionnaire was 14 and 12 among subjects with and without asthma, respectively (p < 0.01). In the final logistic regression model, adjusted for socioeconomic variables, the association between emotional/behavioral disorders and the following variables remained significant: being female (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.10-3.56; p = 0.02) and having asthma (OR = 2.66; 95% CI: 1.52-4.64; p = 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders is higher in adolescents with asthma than in those without asthma, underscoring the need for a holistic, interdisciplinary approach.

Keywords: Asthma; Epidemiology; Prevalence; Adolescent; Psychology; Behavioral symptoms.

Objective: Asthma is the most common chronic pulmonary disease, characterized by bronchial inflammation. Some children with asthma have persistent pulmonary function impairment. The prevalence and etiology of this abnormality in children with asthma in developing countries remain unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of patients with impaired pulmonary function who were unresponsive to treatment in a group of children and adolescents with asthma, and to describe the phenotypic characteristics of the sample. Methods: Using a standardized questionnaire, we selected outpatients (5-17 years of age) diagnosed with persistent asthma. These patients underwent spirometry and skin prick tests for sensitivity to common aeroallergens. Persistent pulmonary function impairment was defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.80, even after 10 days of treatment with bronchodilators and oral corticosteroids. We used the atopic index to differentiate between patients with little or no response to the skin prick test and those with a strong response (cut-off point: 4 allergens). Results: We included 96 patients with a mean age of 10.6 years. Of those, 52 (54.1%) were male, and 89 (92.7%) were atopic. Of the 96 patients, 8 (8.3%) had impaired pulmonary function even after the treatment. Among those patients, 8 (100%) were atopic, 7 (87.5%) had moderate or severe asthma, and 7 (87.5%) had a history of hospitalization for acute bronchiolitis. Conclusions: Children and adolescents with moderate or severe asthma can present with impaired pulmonary function and be unresponsive to treatment. This clinical situation has been little studied in developing countries, and its risk factors and etiology will be better understood only through birth cohort studies.

Keywords: Asthma; Respiratory function tests; Allergy and immunology.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) on acute respiratory failure and to identify the factors associated with its failure or success. Patients and methods: This open and prospective study analyzed 60 episodes of NIPPV use in 53 patients with respiratory failure. Results: In 37 occasions (62%), the patients were successfully ventilated with NIPPV (Success Group, SG) whereas in 23 episodes (38%) intubation was necessary (Failure Group, FG). FG patients showed a higher Apache II score (30.4 ± 9 versus 22.2 ± 8, p = 0.001). The use of NIPPV reduced respiratory rate after 2 hs. This reduction was less evident in FG (from 33 ± 9 to 30 ± 8 bpm, p = 0.094) than in SG (from 39 ± 11 to 28 ± 9 bpm, p < 0.001). PaO2 increased from 62 ± 22 to 101 ± 65 mmHg, (p < 0.001) with no differences between groups. Among patients with hypercapnia, PaCO2 level decreased in SG (from 76 ± 20 to 68 ± 21mmHg, p = 0.032) but not in FG (from 89 ± 23 to 93 ± 40mmHg, p = 0.54). Arterial pH increased in SG (from 7.25 ± 0.10 to 7.34 ± 0.11, p = 0.007) and not in FG (from 7.24 ± 0.07 to 7.21 ± 0.12, p = 0.48). NIPPV was used for longer in SG (3.4 ± 2.5 versus 2.3 ± 2 days, p = 0.003). Higher IPAP levels were used in SG (13.2 ± 3 versus 11 ± 4cmH2O, p = 0.02). The 10 patients (17%) who died, all belonged to FG. Skin lesions at the site of mask contact was the most common complication of NIPPV (5, 8%). NIPPV was efficient in treating acute respiratory failure in 2/3 of patients. The factors associated with failure were: greater severity of the illness, smaller reduction in the respiratory rate, no improvement of respiratory acidosis in 2 h and use of lower IPAP levels. The high mortality rate observed in FG (10, 43%) justifies efforts to optimize NIPPV implementation and to recognize its failure, as early as possible, in order to avoid delays in endotracheal intubation.

Keywords: Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. Respiratory failure. Apache II. Hypercapnia.

Background: Multidrug resistant tuberculosis is a threat to tuberculosis control worldwide. In many studies, it has been suggested that inadequate treatment is a risk factor for the development of multidrug resistent tuberculosis. Objective: To identify the factors associated with inadequate treatment in a group of patients with multidrug resistent tuberculosis. Method: The authors identified all drug sensitivity test for tuberculosis performed at the Central Laboratory of the state of Ceará from 1990 to 1999. Retrospective and prospective analysis was performed, comparing the characteristics of adequately treated patients with those of inadequately treated patients. Multidrug resistance was defined as resistance to 2 drugs (rifampin and isoniazid) or more, using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Of the 1,500 sensitivity test performed at the Central Laboratory of Public Health of the state of Ceará, 266 revealed multidrug-resistant strains. Of those 266 patients, the authors were able to identify only 153, of whom 19 were excluded. Thus, our sampling consisted of 134 patients. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the significant factors associated with inadequate treatment were: noncompliance with the treatment, extreme poverty, drug intolerance, mistakes in the management of the patients, lack of medication being supplied by the health service, two or more previous treatments, pronounced lung cavities and bilateral lesions on chest X-rays. They found a further association (p < 0.0010) between alcoholism or smoking and noncompliance with the treatment. In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with an outcome of inadequate treatment were: two or more previous treatments (p < 0.0001, OR = 5.9; CI 95%: 2.5-13.7), pronounced cavitation (p < 0.0217, OR = 2.7; CI 95%: 1.2-6.1) and bilateral chest X-ray lesions (p < 0.0226, OR = 3.2; CI 95%: 1.4-7.4) Conclusion: In the study, the authors observed that factors related to inadequate treatment are wide-ranging. An attempt at better control of the disease is warranted, especially in those patients with pronounced cavitation or bilateral lesions in chest X-rays. And those with 2 or more previous treatments.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant. Risk factors.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition in patients attending an adult cystic fibrosis (CF) program and to investigate the associations of malnutrition with the clinical characteristics of those patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with clinically stable CF patients (16 years of age or older). The patients underwent clinical assessment, nutritional assessments, pulmonary function tests, and pancreatic function assessment. They also completed a questionnaire regarding diet compliance. On the basis of their nutritional status, the patients were classified divided into three groups: adequate nutrition; at nutritional risk; and malnutrition. Results: The study has included 73 patients (mean age, 25.6 ± 7.3 years), 40 of whom (54.8%) were female. The mean body mass index was 21.0 ± 3.0 kg/m2 and the mean FEV1 was 59.7 ± 30.6% of predicted. In this sample of patients, 32 (43.8%), 23 (31.5%), and 18 (24.7%) of the patients were allocated to the adequate nutrition, nutritional risk, and malnutrition groups, respectively. The logistic regression analysis identified three independent factors associated with the risk of malnutrition: Shwachman-Kulczycki score, percent predicted FEV1; and age. Conclusions: Malnutrition remains a common complication in adolescents and adults with CF, despite dietary advice. Malnutrition is associated with age, clinical severity, and lung function impairment.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Malnutrition; Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; Respiratory function tests.

Objective: To identify risk factors for death among patients with severe asthma. Methods: This was a nested case-control study. Among the patients with severe asthma treated between December of 2002 and December of 2010 at the Central Referral Outpatient Clinic of the Bahia State Asthma Control Program, in the city of Salvador, Brazil, we selected all those who died, as well as selecting other patients with severe asthma to be used as controls (at a ratio of 1:4). Data were collected from the medical charts of the patients, home visit reports, and death certificates. Results: We selected 58 cases of deaths and 232 control cases. Most of the deaths were attributed to respiratory causes and occurred within a health care facility. Advanced age, unemployment, rhinitis, symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, long-standing asthma, and persistent airflow obstruction were common features in both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender, FEV1 pre-bronchodilator < 60% of predicted, and the lack of control of asthma symptoms were significantly and independently associated with mortality in this sample of patients with severe asthma. Conclusions: In this cohort of outpatients with severe asthma, the deaths occurred predominantly due to respiratory causes and within a health care facility. Lack of asthma control and male gender were risk factors for mortality.

Keywords: Asthma/mortality; Asthma/therapy; Risk factors.

Objective: To describe the factors associated with nonadherence to TB chemoprophylaxis in patients older than 15 years of age treated via referral TB control programs. Methods: A historical cohort study was carried out based on medical charts related to cases treated via referral TB control programs in the city of Vitória, Brazil, between 2002 and 2007. Cases of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis were stratified into two groups: health care workers (HCW group); and individuals who were not health care workers (NHCW group). Results: A total of 395 patients were included in the study: 35 in the HCW group and 360 in the NHCW group. The mean age in the HCW and NHCW groups was 34.8 and 32.4 years, respectively (p = 0.36). Of the 35 patients in the HCW group, 29 (82.9%) were female, compared with 180 (50.0%) of the 360 patients in the NHCW group. In the HCW and NHCW groups, respectively, 15 (42.9%) and 169 (46.9%) of the patients were contacts of TB cases. In addition, 9 (25.7%) and 157 (78.5%) the HCW and NHCW group patients, respectively, were HIV-infected. Nonadherence to chemoprophylaxis was 37.1% and 21.9% in the HCW and NHCW groups, respectively (p = 0.045). In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with nonadherence were being a health care worker (OR = 8.60; 95% CI: 2.09-35.41), being HIV-infected (OR = 4.57; 95% CI: 1.2-17.5) and having had contact with a TB patient (OR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.15-6.12). Conclusions: In order to improve adherence to TB chemoprophylaxis, new TB control program strategies are needed, especially for health care workers and HIV-infected patients.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Chemoprevention; Isoniazid.

Objective: To estimate the total time elapsed between symptom onset and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (patient delay plus health care system delay), analyzing the factors associated with delayed diagnosis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey involving 218 pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated for two months at 20 health care clinics and 3 hospitals in eight cities within the state of Rio de Janeiro. We collected socioeconomic and demographic data, as well as data regarding the health care system and the medical history of the patients. Results: The median time elapsed from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 68 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 35-119 days). The median patient delay (time from symptom onset to initial medical visit) was 30 days (IQR: 15-60 days), and the median health care system delay (time from initial medical visit to diagnosis) was 21 days (IQR: 8-47 days). A cut-off point of 21 days was adopted. The factors independently associated with patient delay were female gender, cough, and unemployment [adjusted OR (95% CI) = 2.7 (1.3-5.6); 11.6 (2.3-58.8); and 2.0 (1.0-3.8), respectively], whereas only female gender was independently associated with health care system delay (OR= 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7-6.0). Conclusions: Delayed diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis remains a problem in Rio de Janeiro, increasing the risk of transmission and mortality, that risk being greater for women and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Patients might not recognize the significance of chronic cough as a health problem. Tuberculosis education programs targeting women might improve this situation.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Neoplasm metastasis; Antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols; Radiotherapy, computer-assisted.