Open AccessMortality in smear-negative tuberculosis patients in Phalombe
Author(s) -
Jcj Calis,
ML Bakker,
RB Elens,
Martien W. Borgdorff,
A. D. Harries
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
malawi medical journal
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.43
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1995-7270
pISSN - 1995-7262
DOI - 10.4314/mmj.v14i2.10760
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculosis , pulmonary tuberculosis , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , surgery , pediatrics , family medicine , pathology
In two hospitals in Malawi, where HIV prevalence among tuberculosis patients is 80-90%, the treatment outcome in patients registered with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis was determined in relation to chest x-ray (CXR) findings and certain laboratory parameters. Of 70 patients who were registered and treated, 32 (46%) were known to have died. Mortality was particularly high in those with a normal / minimally abnormal CXR (62%) and in those with a white cell count of less than 3.5 × 109 /l (77%). The reasons for this high mortality among patients with smear-negative PTB are not known and requires more research.