Risikofaktorer for tuberkuløse sykdommer i industrialiserte land

Abstract

Objectives: WHO estimates that over one third of the world’s total population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The prevalence of tuberculosis is highest in developing countries. These countries struggle against poor nutrition and HIV, which are already well-known risk factors for developing active tuberculosis. The prevalence of people with poor nutrition and HIV is low in industrialised countries. Still there is observed a higher number of new incidences of tuberculosis in these countries.

In Norway for example; it takes approximately two to three months before a patient with the disease gets his diagnose. In the meanwhile, it’s believed that this person will transmit the disease further to another person. A Physicians knowledge about a patient’s risks will shorten the time to give the proper diagnose and maybe through this prevent the patient to infect other people. The goal for this project is to find out more about the risks for those who live in an industrialised country.

Methods: Non-systematic search on PubMed, WHO, reference lists and books of pathology. Systematic search on PubMed due to the keywords [”active tuberculosis” OR ”tuberculosis disease” AND risks].

Conclusions: High consumption of alcohol, diabetes and smoking are associated with high risks of active tuberculosis. These people could be targets for inter-ventions such as active case findings and treatment of latent tuberculosis.]