[Epidemiological study of tuberculosis in the health area of Santiago de Compostella in 1992, 1993 and 1994]

An exhaustive search for clinical records of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis was conducted in the two hospitals of the health area of Santiago de Compostela Spain for the years 1992 1993 and 1994. Cases were included if there was a positive sputum test or positive culture for mycobacterium tuberculosis in Lowenstein-Jensen medium or a compatible pathologists report. Patients under 35 were included if they had pleural effusion significant Mantoux and adenosine deaminase (ADA) over 47 U/I in the pleural effusion. 59 of the 873 patients who met the study criteria were excluded for nonresidence in the health area. 507 men and 307 women remained. The average age was 38.4 years in 1992 39.0 in 1993 and 34.1 in 1994 with ages ranging from 2 months to 87 years. In 1992 1993 and 1994 respectively the incidence per 100000 were 67.86 66.58 and 73.20 and the incidence of contagious forms per 100000 were 42.18 43.6 and 46.9. The rate per 100000 of hospital mortality from tuberculosis was 2.04 in 1992 2.3 in 1993 and 2.3 in 1994. The incidence per 100000 of tuberculous meningitis was 1.5 in 1992 and 1993 and 1.79 in 1994. 41 cases of tuberculosis (5.04%) were associated with HIV. Tuberculosis continues to be endemic in the health area with a moderately high and stationary incidence frequently affecting young persons.