Pulmonary tuberculosis in smokers

• Published in: La Presse médicale (1983) 2010-02, Vol.39 (2), p.e25-e28
• Main Authors: Racil, Hajer, Amar, Jihen Ben, Cheikrouhou, Sana, Hassine, Elyes, Zarrouk, Mourad, Chaouch, Naouel, Chabbou, Abdellatif
• Format: Article
• Language: fre
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; BCG Vaccine; Chest Pain - microbiology; Cough - microbiology; Fever - microbiology; Health Priorities; Hemoptysis - microbiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Radiography; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking Prevention; Socioeconomic Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - complications; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - diagnostic imaging; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - epidemiology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - therapy; Tunisia - epidemiology; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 2213-0276
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lpm.2009.09.024

Tobacco smoking and tuberculosis (TB) are two major public health problems, and the former may affect the morbidity and mortality rates for the latter. This study sought to compare the clinical and radiologic aspects of pulmonary TB, as well as outcome, in smokers and nonsmokers. This retrospective case control study examined the files of 90 patients in our pulmonary department with active pulmonary TB, 45 of them smokers and 45, nonsmokers. To analyze the seriousness of the radiologic lesions, we used a score based on the International Labour Organization classification for simple pneumoconiosis, rating lesions in 4 grades according to severity and extent. The mean age of the patients, all men, was 29 years (range: 16-50 years). Symptoms were similar in both groups, with no significant clinical or bacteriological differences between the two groups. However, the highest severity score was found in 81% of the smoking group compared with 15% of the nonsmokers (p