Evolution of COVID-19 in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Hospital especializado en problemas pulmonares. Guatemala. 2020-2022

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 and pulmonary tuberculosis are conditions that share similarities in terms of the lung involvement they cause, and when they occur concomitantly, they may worsen the patient’s clinical condition.
Objective: To describe the course of COVID-19 in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at the National Reference Hospital for Respiratory Diseases, 2020–2021.
Method: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. Twenty-five medical records were reviewed, of which three were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. The principle of data confidentiality was upheld; variables were operationalized, and techniques and procedures for data collection, processing and analysis, discussion, and synthesis were applied.
Results: The mean age of the population was 49 years. Diabetes mellitus was the most frequently observed concomitant disease (68.18%). Male patients constituted the predominant cases. All patients with COVID-19 and tuberculosis received treatment for each condition, which was individualized according to the requirements of each clinical case. Three patients presented with severe COVID-19; two of them did not survive and one was transferred to another healthcare facility. The nineteen patients who presented with mild or moderate disease survived and were able to continue their anti-tuberculosis treatment.
Conclusions: The patients did not present severe complications that prevented them from continuing their anti-tuberculosis treatment either during hospitalization or after discharge.