Clinical features and outcome in children admitted to a TB hospital in the Western Cape--the influence of HIV infection and drug resistance.

BACKGROUND: The Western Cape has a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) and a rising prevalence of HIV infection. Children form 15-20% of this TB burden.
OBJECTIVE: To document the clinical features and outcome of TB among children admitted to a regional TB hospital.
METHOD: A retrospective, descriptive study was undertaken of children under 15 years of age admitted to Brooklyn Hospital for Chest Diseases from January 2000 to December 2001. Demographic and clinical details of children were recorded routinely in a register that formed the basis of this review.
RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-eight of the 250 children admitted had TB, of whom 120 (50.4%) were boys. The median age was 25 months. Reasons for admission were disease severity in 99 cases, social reasons in 36, and a combination in 103. Adult source cases were identified in 138 instances; 9 had drug-resistant TB, 31 drug-susceptible TB and in 98 cases susceptibility was unknown. TB was confirmed by culture in 119 children. Of 79 in whom susceptibility testing was done, 10 had isoniazid-resistant TB and 8 multidrug-resistant TB. HIV serology was positive in 43 of 138 children tested (31%). Previous antituberculosis treatment, severe malnutrition and weight under the 3rd percentile for age, a negative Mantoux test, and mortality were significantly more common in the HIV-infected children. Twenty-two of 41 previously negative Mantoux tests (< 5 mm induration) were positive on retesting.
CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection is common in children with TB and malnutrition, and mortality in this group is high. Repeat Mantoux tests may show an increased number of positive results.