بيماري سل در بيماران افغاني و ايراني ارجاع شده به مركز آموزشي ، پژوهشي و درماني سل و بيماري هاي ريوي 1379-1377

Tuberculosis status among Iranian and Afghan patients referred to the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease during 1998-2000

There has not been organized any studies to investigate TB status and the related treatment among Afghan refugees in Iran. A descriptive -- analytical study was conducted on all adult TB cases (over 15 years) referring to the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD) from March 1998 - to March 2000. A total of 1028 TB cases, 68.3% Iranian and 31.7% Afghan were studied. The mean age was 32.8 and 49.0 years among Afghans and Iranians, respectively (P<0.0001). Out of 712 patients with positive smear, grade of sputum smear of 689 cases were recorded. The minimum and maximum smear grades were +1 (43.6%) and +3 (37.5%) among Iranians, whereas, they were 32.1% and 44.3% among Afghans, respectively (P<0.05). Sputum smear was negative among 77.4% (260 cases) of Iranians and 63.3% (93 cases) of Afghans at the end of the second month of treatment(P=0.001). About 49% of Afghans with smear positive pulmonary TB left before the end of treatment whereas this rate was 32.4% among Iranians (P-0.001). The present study showed that Afghan TB patients were younger than Iranians and developed more severe forms of the disease compared to Iranians. Afghan refugees play an important role in the transmission of tuberculosis in Iran, therefore, detecting TB in Afghan refugees and the need to follow up patients, while being treated, should he taken into special consideration.