Aproximación diagnóstica de infección aguda no especificada de las vías respiratorias inferiores en pacientes con tuberculosis o sospecha de tuberculosis menores o iguales a 5 años del área de pediatría del Hospital General Guasmo Sur desde enero del 2021 a junio del 2024.

Abstract

In Ecuador, tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health challenge, particularly among children under five years old who present symptoms of unspecified acute lower respiratory tract infections. This study, conducted at the General Hospital Guasmo Sur in Guayaquil during the period 2021-2023, focused on analyzing the diagnostic approach to these infections in patients with TB or suspected TB. The methodology was cross-sectional, observational, retrospective, and analytical, utilizing data from medical records to assess the prevalence and characteristics of TB in this pediatric population. A total of 4,963 children with unspecified respiratory infections were identified, of which 159 were confirmed to have TB, representing 3.09% of the total. The average age of the affected children was 3.52 years, with a slightly higher prevalence in girls. The most common symptoms included fever, general malaise, and persistent cough, with clinical diagnostic methods being the most utilized. Key risk factors identified were direct contact with TB patients, overcrowded living conditions, and poor socioeconomic circumstances. Children with verifiable exposure to TB were up to 71 times more likely to develop the disease. This study highlights the complexities of diagnosing TB in children with non-specific respiratory symptoms and the need to improve diagnostic and treatment strategies, taking into account socioeconomic and environmental risk factors that increase the vulnerability of this population.