Approaches to pulmonary tuberculosis in people living with HIV

Abstract

Were studied the data of 66 patients with tuberculosis and HIV were treated at the Municipal Clinical Hospital of Phthisiopneumology in the years 2018-2020. There were 44 men, 22 women. The predominant age range was between 31-50 years. Only 15.1% had family status, the others (single, divorced, widowed, cohabiting) – 84.9%. New cases of tuberculosis constituted 65.1%, relapses 21.2%, an insignificant number were patients lost to follow-up and with treatment failure. Most of the patients had the infiltrative form of tuberculosis followed by the disseminated processes. Disseminated and generalized tuberculosis (affecting several extrapulmonary organs) was recorded in more than 1/3 of patients. In 77.3% the tuberculosis process was bilateral and in 81.8% - extensive. ½ of the patients were smear positive with resistance to antituberculosis drugs. Among the most frequently associated diseases, anemia, viral hepatitis and fungal diseases were found. Every fourth patient suffered from drug addiction and every fifth patient suffered from alcoholism. Tuberculosis and HIV were detected simultaneously in 53.3% of cases. More than ½ patients had cellular immunity below 200 cells/mm3 and viral load > 1000 copies/ml. Only 63.8% received antiretroviral treatment. Tuberculosis deaths in people living with HIV constituted 22.7% cases.