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ISSN: 2763-5724 / Vol. 04 - n 05 - ano 2024
2012). In healthy people, M. tuberculosis infection often does not cause symptoms, because the
individual’s immune system acts to “isolate” the bacteria (FRIEDEN, 2003). Symptoms of active TB
of the lung are cough (sometimes with sputum or blood), chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever,
and night sweats. This disease is treatable in approximately six months with antibiotics (JENSEN,
2005). Tuberculosis has recently emerged as a major health concern. Each year, approximately 2
million people in the world die from tuberculosis and 9 million are infected. The prevalence of
tuberculosis continues to increase due to the increase in the number of patients infected with the
human immunodeciency virus (HIV), bacterial drug resistance, increased international travel and
immigration from countries with high prevalence, and an increase in the number of homeless people
and drug users (PINHEIRO, 2022; FERGUSON, 2004)element. With 2 billion people, one third of
the world’s population, estimated to be infected with mycobacteria, all health professionals, regardless
of the area of care, need to understand the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics and procedures
for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (EISENHUT, 2016). The vulnerability of hospitalized patients to
tuberculosis is often underestimated because infection is usually considered a community-based
disease (ROSENKRANDS, 2012). Most hospitalized patients are in a critical immunological state,
particularly in intensive care units, making exposure to tuberculosis even more severe than in the
community (SILVA, 2014). By understanding the causative organism, pathophysiology, transmission,
diagnosis of tuberculosis and clinical manifestations in patients, intensive care professionals will be
better prepared to recognize the infection (AGUDELO, 2018).
DEVELOPMENT
There are some epidemiological data that guide the population and health agents in general,
and provide information pertinent to the situation presented about the characterization of diseases in
the day-to-day life of the communities.
According to epidemiological data regarding tuberculosis in the country, it is found in the