[Characterization of 100 patients with tuberculosis treated in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam].

OBJECTIVE

To inventory both clinical and demographical data of patients with tuberculosis in the AMC, as well as diagnostic procedures, response to therapy and rate of resistance.

DESIGN

Retrospective, descriptive.

SETTING

The Academic Medical Center. Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

METHOD

The medical records of all patients with a bacteriologically confirmed infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex between January 1993 and December 1995 were studied.

RESULTS

70 out of 100 patients with tuberculosis were not born in the Netherlands. Out of 50 patients tested 18 were HIV positive. The most common abnormality seen on X-rays of non-HIV positive patients were caverns. The X-ray of HIV positive patients showed no abnormalities in 39%; there was no correlation with CD4 cell count. In 74% of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis the diagnosis was made by culture of the sputum. Treatment consisted of INH, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Twelve patients were infected with resistant strains, of which two were multidrug resistant. Four patients died of tuberculosis.

CONCLUSION

Tuberculosis was seen mostly among immigrants. Only half the patients with tuberculosis were tested for presence of HIV antibodies. Culture and staining of sputum played a key role in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Multiresistant tuberculosis was present in 2% of the patients. Death due to tuberculosis in this population was 4%.