Chronic symptoms and pulmonary dysfunction in post-tuberculosis Brazilian patients

Simone de Sousa Elias Nihues, Eliane Viana Mancuzo, Nara Sulmonetti, Flávia Patussi Correia Sacchi, Vanessa de Souza Viana, Eduardo Martins Netto, Silvana Spindola Miranda, Julio Croda

Questionnaire and spirometry were applied to post-tuberculosis indigenous and non-indigenous individuals from Dourados, Brazil, to investigate the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary dysfunction. This was a cross-sectional study in cured tuberculosis individuals as reported in the National System on Reportable Diseases (SINAN) from 2002 to 2012. One hundred and twenty individuals were included in the study and the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was 45% (95% CI, 34-59%). Respiratory symptoms included cough (28%), sputum (23%), wheezing (22%) and dyspnea (8%). These symptoms were associated with alcoholism, AOR: 3.1 (1.2-8.4); less than 4 years of schooling, AOR: 5.0 (1.4-17.7); and previous pulmonary diseases, AOR: 5.4 (1.7-17.3). Forty-one percent (95% CI, 29-56) had pulmonary disorders, of which the most prevalent were obstructive disorders (49%), followed by obstructive disorder with reduced forced vital capacity disorders (46%) and restrictive disorders (5%). The lifestyle difference could not explain differences in chronic symptoms and/or the prevalence of pulmonary dysfunction. The high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary dysfunction in post-tuberculosis patients indicates a need for further interventions to reduce social vulnerability of patients successfully treated for tuberculosis.