Profile Of Elderly Diagnosed With Tuberculosis In A Reference Hospital In Brazil

The increase in life expectancy shall be related to the higher number of tuberculosis cases, which, in spite of its curableness, still stand as a major challenge for public healthcare in several countries. Objective: We sought to characterize the profile of elderly with the referred disease diagnosed in a reference hospital, residents of the city of Joao Pessoa-Paraiba-Brazil. Method: It was a documental, descriptive, retrospective study with a quantitative approach which utilized the Epiinfo software, version 3.3.1 so as to systematize the data. Results: The sample includes 169 diagnosis records of elderly with pulmonic tuberculosis, between the years of 2011 and 2013, of whom 6,5% are residents of the city of Bayeux, 12,4% Santa Rita, 3,6% Cabedelo, and 77,5% Joao Pessoa; The majority were male (65,1%), married (54,5%), with low education background (32,5%), non-institutionalized (79,9%), and actives (47,9%); of those, 32,5% were directed to reference service by another hospital unit. Among the associated comorbidities, we highlight alcoholism (25,5) and smoking (27,3%). Diabetes had higher rates in females (39,0%). The relevant symptom was coughing (66,1%); As for the closure, only 55,0% of the elderly were discharged from hospitals after cured, 10,7% died, and 11,2% abandoned treatment. Conclusion: Describing the profile of elderly diagnosed with tuberculosis is relevant for public health. The results obtained are used to propose improvements in the care of the health service, allowing a treatment geared to the peculiarities of elderly people suffering from tuberculosis and actions to reduce cases of the disease in this population.