When Do TB Patients Die In Europe? Some Answers And More Questions

Main Category: Tuberculosis
Article Date: 29 May 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Dennis Falzon (Euro TB, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, St-Maurice, France) and his colleagues examined the risk factors for death reported among tuberculosis (TB) cases in the European Union in recent years.

Overall, some 8% of nearly 40,000 reported TB patients died.

The authors observe that advancing age and multidrug-resistant TB (a form of drug resistance to the two major antituberculous drugs) were the strongest predictors of death, while being a male, being of European origin, having lung disease and having been treated in the past for TB presented a weaker risk.

The likelihood of dying varies between countries and this, presumably, reflects the heterogeneity in patient profiles, and differences in reporting practices and in programme effectiveness between the diverse geographical settings present in the 15 Member States included. The study used surveillance data to increase the evidence base on determinants of TB outcome in Europe.

While a number of limitations are highlighted in this article, including incomplete reporting of outcome and the absence of information on HIV and other potential risk factors, the conclusions are still of relevance to both clinical and public health practice. Earlier suspicion, diagnosis and treatment may reduce deaths, particularly among the elderly. Special attention is needed to avert the development and transmission of drug resistance.

The authors recommend that the array of data presently collected is broadened, so as to measure the impact of other potential predictors of TB death, especially risk factors which are modifiable, such as tobacco use, and amenable to public health messages.

Title of original article-
Risk factors for death among tuberculosis cases: analysis of European surveillance data
Journalists wishing for a copy of the article or its detailed references should e-mail erj@cedosinternational.com

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

European Respiratory Journal

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