Objective: To determine the incidence of active tuberculosis (TB) in a cohort of health care workers (HCWs). Methods: Descriptive study of active TB cases identified in an occupational health screening of 6,112 HCWs between 2005 and 2010. Cases of active TB were defined as those in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified by direct microscopy or culture; those in which there were symptoms or clinical signs of TB and necrotizing granuloma, as detected by histology; and those in which the radiological findings were consistent with active TB. Results: Among the 6,112 HCWs evaluated, we identified 62 cases of active TB: pulmonary TB (n = 43); pleural TB (n = 15); lymph node TB (n = 2); pericardial TB (n = 1); and cutaneous TB (n = 1). Seven HCWs were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Of the 62 cases of active TB, 48 developed within the first 10 years of occupational exposure in the workplace, 36 of those occurring within the first 5 years. Physicians and nurses accounted for the highest numbers of cases (22 and 21, respectively). Conclusions: In HCWs employed in Portugal, the TB burden is high. Physicians and nurses are the HCWs who are at the highest risk of developing active TB. We found the risk of developing this disease to be highest in the first years of exposure, as has been reported in previous studies. In high-incidence countries, TB screening of HCWs is important for controlling the transmission of this disease.

Keywords: Tuberculosis/diagnosis; Occupational health; Health personnel.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of and determine the risk factors associated with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among primary health care workers in the city of Vitória, Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data collected through a survey regarding socio-demographic, occupational, clinical, and exposure characteristics, as well as knowledge about tuberculosis, conducted between 2011 and 2012. All participants underwent a tuberculin skin test (TST), and TSTs were read at 72 h by a trained professional. Results: A total of 218 primary health care workers participated in the study. The prevalence of TST positivity at the ≥ 10-mm and ≥ 5-mm cut-off points was, respectively, 39.4% (95% CI: 32.9-45.9) and 54.1% (95% CI: 47.4-60.7). Regarding occupational categories, community health agents had the highest proportion of TST positivity, regardless of the cut-off point (≥ 10 mm: 47.5%; and ≥ 5 mm: 60.5%). Regarding factors associated with TST results, "having had a previous TST" showed a statistically significant association with TST positivity at the ≥ 10-mm and ≥ 5-mm cut-off points (OR = 2.5 [95% CI: 1.17-5.30] and OR = 2.18 [95% CI: 1.23-3.87], respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of LTBI was found to be high among the primary health care workers in this sample. Therefore, we recommend the establishment of a periodic screening program for LTBI and implementation of effective biosafety policies for the prevention of this infection among primary health care workers.

Keywords: Health personnel; Tuberculin test; Latent tuberculosis; Primary health care.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis cases reported among health care workers in the Tuberculosis Control Program of the Cassiano Antonio of Moraes University Hospital in Vitoria, Brazil. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of secondary data was conducted between 2002 and 2006. Results: Twenty-five cases of health care workers with tuberculosis were reported: 8 in nursing technicians (32%); 4 in doctors (16%); 3 in nurses (12%); 2 in radiology technicians (8%) and 8 in professionals from other categories (32%). Of those 25 health care workers, 14 (56%) were male and 11 (44%) were female. The incidence of the disease was highest among those from 35 to 39 years of age. The predominant clinical presentation was extrapulmonary (12 cases, 48%), followed by pulmonary (11 cases, 44%) and a combination of the two (2 cases, 8%). Regarding comorbidities, AIDS, alcoholism and smoking, respectively, were present in 33.3% of the study population. Outcomes were as follows: 22 cases of cure (88%); 2 transfers (8%); and 1 death (4%). The proportion of health care workers diagnosed with tuberculosis in the period studied was 2.53%. Conclusions: The results show the need for heath care workers who work in the tuberculosis control program to fill out the field "professional occupation" on the tuberculosis case registry database reporting forms. In addition, this situation draws attention to the need to implement an occupational tuberculosis control program.

Keywords: Health profile; Tuberculosis/epidemiology; Health personnel; Prevalence.

Objective: To evaluate COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices among health care workers (HCWs) practicing in Latin American countries during the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a multinational cross-sectional survey study, using an online self-administered questionnaire. The final version of the questionnaire comprised 40 questions, organized in five sections: demographic and professional characteristics; COVID-19 knowledge; attitudes toward COVID-19; COVID-19 practices; and institutional resources. Results: The study involved 251 HCWs from 19 Latin American countries who agreed to participate. In our sample, 77% of HCWs participated in some sort of institutional training on COVID-19, and 43% had a low COVID-19 knowledge score. COVID-19 knowledge was associated with the type of health center (public/private), availability of institutional training, and sources of information about COVID-19. Concerns about not providing adequate care were reported by 60% of the participants. The most commonly used ventilatory strategies were protective mechanical ventilation, alveolar recruitment maneuvers, and prone positioning, and the use of drugs to treat COVID-19 was mainly based on institutional protocols. Conclusions: In this multinational study in Latin America, almost half of HCWs had a low COVID-19 knowledge score, and the level of knowledge was associated with the type of institution, participation in institutional training, and information sources. HCWs considered that COVID-19 was very relevant, and more than half were concerned about not providing adequate care to patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health knowledge, attitude, practice; Health personnel; Latin America.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, using tuberculin skin test, among community health agents (CHAs) monitoring TB patients in the city of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil. Methods: We included 30 CHAs acting in the Family Health Program and 30 of their family members residing in the same household. The tuberculin skin test results of each CHA were compared with those of the corresponding family member. Results: Of the 30 CHAs, 27 (90.0%) were female, compared with 23 (76.7%) of the 30 family members (p = 0.299). The mean age of the CHA group and of the family member group was, respectively, 36.8 and 39.7 years. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups regarding the level of education. Regarding M. tuberculosis exposure, the same number of participants in the two groups reported having known or had contact with a TB patient (17 individuals; 56.7%). There was a statistically significant difference regarding positive tuberculin skin test results (26.7% in the CHA group and 3.3% in the family member group; p = 0.011). Conclusions: M. tuberculosis infection was significantly higher among CHAs than among their family members, fueling the debate on the occupational risk involved in the activities of these professionals.

Keywords: Community health aides; Tuberculosis; Tuberculin test.

Objective: COPD is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Health care providers should counsel their smoking patients with COPD to quit smoking as the first treatment step. However, in countries with high prevalences of smoking, health care workers may also be smokers. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of COPD in health care workers who smoke. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. All health care workers who smoke, from nine health care centers in Serbia, were invited to participate in the study and perform spirometry. The diagnosis of COPD was based on a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio of < 0.70. All patients completed the COPD Assessment Test and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. Results: The study involved 305 subjects, and 47 (15.4%) were male. The mean age of the participants was 49.0 ± 6.5 years. Spirometry revealed obstructive ventilatory defect in 33 subjects (10.8%); restrictive ventilatory defect, in 5 (1.6%); and small airway disease, in 96 (31.5%). A diagnosis of COPD was made in 29 patients (9.5%), 25 (86.2%) of whom were newly diagnosed. On the basis of the Global Initiative for COPD guidelines, most COPD patients belonged to groups A or B (n = 14; 48.2%, for both); 1 belonged to group D (3.6%); and none, to group C. Very high nicotine dependence was more common in those with COPD than in those without it (20.7% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: In this sample of health care workers, the frequency of COPD was comparable with that in the general population. The presence of COPD in health care workers who smoke was associated with higher nicotine dependence.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive/prevention & control; Smoking; Health personnel.

Setting: Considering the difficulty to establish diagnosis of tuberculosis in childhood, the authors studied three diagnostic criteria published in the literature in the last 20 years, evaluating their sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Material and methods: In a prospective study, 94 children at ages ranging from 0 to 15 years having contact with bacillary tuberculous adults were studied in the Municipal Health Center of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. The following criteria were studied: Keneth Jones, described by Stegen et al.(1), World Health Organization(2) and Keith Edwards, described by Crofton et al.(3). Results: Among the criteria studied, those of Keith Edwards showed the best sensitivity and specificity, with 84% and 97%, respectively. WHO criterion showed a 100% specificity but zero sensitivity. Keneth Jones criterion showed 56% sensitivity and a 94% specificity. Conclusion: In poor areas, such as that of this study, where easy-to-handle operational methods are required, the criteria studied proved to be adequate to detect tuberculosis cases in children in contact with tuberculous adults. Those of Keith Edwards were the most useful although some changes are necessary for a better adaptation to Brazil.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, diagnosis. Child. Community health care centers.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV infection among individuals ≥ 15 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis and treated at family health care clinics in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. We evaluated a random sample of 110 patients with tuberculosis, treated at a total of 26 family health care clinics between January and May of 2009. All of the participants completed a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic and clinical data, and all underwent HIV testing. In this sample, the prevalence of tuberculosis/HIV co-infection was 3.6% (95% CI: 0.2-7.0).

Keywords: Tuberculosis; HIV seroprevalence; Primary health care.

Objective: To evaluate the level of access to health care clinics of a population of patients hospitalized for tuberculosis (TB) at two hospitals in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, comparing them with a population of TB patients under outpatient treatment only. Methods: We compiled sociodemographic, clinical and epidemiological data related to patients hospitalized for TB at two hospitals in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, between January and December of 2007, using a structured questionnaire. We also identified the outpatient clinics to which the patients were referred at discharge. The same variables were evaluated for TB outpatients during the same period, using a database. Results: The study sample consisted of 474 patients (166 inpatients and 308 outpatients: mean age, 41.0 and 39.1 years, respectively). The univariate analysis showed positive associations between hospitalization due to TB and the following variables: 30-39 year age bracket (OR = 2.17); 50-59 year age bracket (OR = 2.17); combination of pulmonary and extrapulmonary forms of TB (OR = 5.31); TB re-treatment (OR = 2.66); seeking treatment at other health care facilities prior to the diagnosis of TB (OR = 2.05); symptom duration of more than 12 weeks (OR = 2.23); and TB diagnosed at hospitals or in emergency rooms (OR = 4.68). The proportion of inpatients who resided in the same regional health district area as that in which the respective hospital was located was 77.6% and 36.8%. The proportion of discharged patients who were referred to outpatient clinics in the same areas was 67.1% and 39.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Patients hospitalized for TB should be monitored from discharge until their admission to the outpatient clinic.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Health services accessibility; Inpatients; Outpatients.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of latent and active TB among detainees in a prison hospital in Bahia, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study with prospective data collection was carried out comprising 237 inmates in the Bahia State Prison Hospital between July 2003 and April 2004. A standardized questionnaire was applied and completed by medical students. The detainees were systematically submitted to the following tests: tuberculin skin test, chest X-ray (anteroposterior), sputum smear microscopy and culture for mycobacteria. The events of interest were active TB and latent TB. Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.6 years, and 89.9% were male. Smoking and alcohol consumption were reported by 70.0% and 43.9% of the inmates, respectively. A history of treatment for TB was reported by 11.3% of the inmates. Of the inmates evaluated, 36.3% reported cough and 31.4% reported expectoration. Other less common symptoms were asthenia (in 26.2%), weight loss (in 23.1%), loss of appetite (in 17.7%), fever (in 11.3%) and hemoptysis (in 6.7%). Of the 86 inmates tested, none presented positive HIV serology. The prevalence of latent TB was 61.5% (96 of the 156 inmates submitted to tuberculin skin tests), whereas that of active TB was 2.5% (6 of the 237 inmates evaluated). The presence of cough was a determinant of active TB (prevalence ratio = 8.8; 95% CI: 1.04-73.9; p = 0.025). Conclusions: Active and latent TB are highly prevalent among inmates hospitalized in the Bahia State Prison Hospital. Our findings justify the need to implement public policies specifically directed towards the control of TB in this population.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Prisons; Hospitals; Prevalence.

Objective: To evaluate the effect that the distribution of food baskets to tuberculosis (TB) patients has on treatment outcomes at a primary health care clinic. Methods: Retrospective comparative study of the medical and social aspects of 142 patients at a primary health care clinic in the city of Duque de Caxias, Brazil. The patients were divided into two groups: the first group included 68 patients treated with standard regimens (between September of 2001 and December of 2003); and the second group included 74 patients treated with the same regimens but also receiving food baskets on a monthly basis (between January of 2004 and July of 2006). Results: The statistical comparison between the two groups revealed that the cure rate was higher in the group receiving the food baskets (87.1% vs. 69.7%), whereas the rate of noncompliance was markedly lower (12.9% vs. 30.3%). Conclusions: The results indicate that the distribution of food baskets can be a useful strategy to improve compliance with TB treatment at primary health care clinics.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Nutritional support; Treatment outcome; Ambulatory health services.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their association with sociodemographic variables and with the characteristics of the work environment. Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising 464 workers employed at ceramics manufacturing facilities located in the city of Várzea Grande, Brazil. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire comprising questions regarding sociodemographic variables, work environment characteristics, and respiratory symptoms. Data were analyzed by means of prevalence ratios and their respective 95% CIs between the dependent variable (respiratory symptoms) and the other explanatory variables. In the multivariate analysis, two hierarchical models were built, the response variables being "all respiratory symptoms" and "severe respiratory symptoms". Results: In the sample studied, the prevalence of "all respiratory symptoms" was 78%, whereas that of "severe respiratory symptoms" was 35%. The factors associated with "all respiratory symptoms" were gender, age bracket, level of education, type of occupation, exposure to dust, and exposure to chemical products. The factors associated with "severe respiratory symptoms" were level of education, exposure to dust, and exposure to chemical products. Conclusions: Our results indicate the presence of upper and lower airway disease in the population studied.

Keywords: Questionnaires; Occupational diseases/epidemiology; Health status indicators.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of smoking, as well as its association with sociodemographic factors, alcohol consumption, and stress levels, among industrial workers in Brazil. Methods: This was a nationwide survey, conducted in 24 capitals in Brazil through the application of a pre-tested questionnaire. The response to the question "What is your smoking status?" was the outcome variable. To determine the associations, we performed Poisson regression analyses in which the inputs were blocks of variables: block 1 (age and marital status); block 2 (level of education and gross family income); block 3 (geographic region); and block 4 (alcohol consumption and stress level). All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: The sample consisted of 47,328 workers ≥ 18 years of age, of whom 14,577 (30.8%) were women. The prevalence of smoking was 13.0% (15.2% in men and 7.9% in women). Advancing age, alcohol consumption, and a high stress level were positively associated with smoking. A lower risk of smoking was associated with being married, having a higher level of education, and living in the northeastern region of the country (versus the southern region). Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was greater in men than in women. Alcohol consumption and high stress levels appear to promote smoking.

Keywords: Tobacco use disorder/epidemiology; Tobacco smoking; Occupational health; Industry; Brazil.

Background: Since the first years of antituberculosis chemotherapy, there has been controversy regarding the transmissibility, infectiousness, virulence and pathogenicity of susceptible and drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Objective: To determine the incidence of active tuberculosis (TB) among individuals cohabiting with patients infected with susceptible and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Methods: A case-control study was conducted. Cases of MDR-TB were defined as those infected with M. tuberculosis strains resistant to at least rifampin and isoniazid. Susceptible TB cases (controls) were defined as those first treated at approximately the same time as the first treatment of the MDR-TB cases - and cured by the time of the interview. Study cases were selected on the basis of the results of susceptibility tests, using the proportion method, carried out at the Central Laboratory of Public Health of the State of Ceará. The control group consisted of patients enrolled in the Tuberculosis Control Program between 1990 and 1999. Results: We evaluated 126 patients and 176 controls. The number of individuals sharing the household with patients was 557 in the MDR-TB group and 752 in the controls. The average number of exposed individuals per index case was 4.42 and 4.27 among patients and controls, respectively. Of the 557 MDR-TB-exposed individuals, 4.49% (25)received antituberculosis treatment after the respective index case had begun treatment, compared to 5.45% (41/752) among the controls ( p = 0.4468). Microepidemics of MDRTB were confirmed in eight families. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the incidence of active TB is comparable between households inhabited by MDRTB patients and those inhabited by susceptible-TB patients.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant/epidemiology. Tuberculosis/trasmission.

Objective: To identify factors predictive of mortality in patients admitted to the ICU with tuberculosis (TB)/HIV coinfection in the Manaus, Amazon Region. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of TB/HIV coinfected patients over 18 years of age who were admitted to an ICU in the city of Manaus, Brazil, between January of 2011 and December of 2014. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were assessed. To identify factors predictive of mortality, we employed a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: During the study period, 120 patients with TB/HIV coinfection were admitted to the ICU. The mean age was 37.0 ± 11.7 years. Of the 120 patients evaluated, 94 (78.3%) died and 62 (66.0%) of those deaths having occurred within the first week after admission. Data on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and ARDS were available for 86 and 67 patients, respectively Of those 86, 75 (87.2%) underwent IMV, and, of those 67, 48 (71.6%) presented with ARDS. The factors found to be independently associated with mortality were IMV (p = 0.002), hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.013), and CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3 (p = 0.002). Conclusions: A high early mortality rate was observed among TB/HIV coinfected ICU patients. The factors predictive of mortality in this population were IMV, hypoalbuminemia, and severe immunosuppression.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Critical care; Respiration, artificial; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.