Determinants of coinfection tuberculosis and HIV in prisons in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Prisons context has the potential for the spread of infectious diseases, like HIV and tuberculosis, which prevalence is higher in the people deprived of liberty compared to the general population.

Objective: to analyze which are the determinants of coinfection tuberculosis and HIV in prisons.

Methodology: Case-control study conducted in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. New cases of tuberculosis in the population deprived of liberty in the period between 2015 and 2017 were considered. Data were obtained through the notification and monitoring system for tuberculosis cases in the state of São Paulo and included sociodemographic and clinical variables and diagnosis and treatment information. The data were analyzed through frequency distribution and bivariate analysis, testing the association of the dependent variable (tuberculosis/HIV coinfection vs. tuberculosis/HIV non-coinfection) with independent variables (sociodemographic, clinical and diagnostics variables) by calculating the odds ratio and p-value.

Results: Among the determinants of tuberculosis/HIV coinfection in prisons, we identified: age between 26-35, 36-55 and 56-84 years, notification in hospitals, negative sputum smear microscopy and culture, X-ray suggestive of another pathology, extrapulmonary and mixed clinical form, and alcoholism. A high percentage of death was also identified among coinfected people.

Conclusions: identifying the determinants of the tuberculosis/HIV coinfected individual can assist in the development and implementation of guidelines aimed at controlling both infections in the prison environment.