Causes of death in patients with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection

Objectives. The aim of the study was to investigate the cause of death of tuberculosis patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many researchers and experts note the urgency of the problem of tuberculosis combined with HIV infection in the world and in Russia. One of the main criteria for assessing the effectiveness of medical care for tuberculosis patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus is the mortality rate.

Materials and methods. For a detailed study of the causes of death of patients with tuberculosis in combination with HIV infection, we analyzed the causes of death of this contingent of patients in 5 regions of the Russian Federation.

Results. The social characteristics of patients, the forms and course of the disease, the main and immediate causes of death of 223 patients with co-infection with HIV and tuberculosis were studied.

Conclusion. Half of the deaths of tuberculosis patients infected with human im­munodeficiency virus were not associated with tuberculosis. Among these cases, there was either the presence of several infections at the same time, equally leading to death, or separate opportunistic infections (candidiasis, Pneumocystis pneumonia, toxoplasmosis), or cancer. In addition, the lifestyle of patients often became the cause of deaths, namely: drug poisoning and accidents, or cirrhosis of the liver, which develops as a result of alcoholism or hepatitis C infection which occurred during intravenous administration of drugs.

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