Abstract:

Objective To analyze the characteristics of elderly patients with tuberculosis (TB) admitted to a municipal-level designated medical institution in Beijing, and to provide basis for TB prevention and control in elderly population of Beijing. Methods We descriptively analyzed data of 629 elderly TB patients (≥60 years old) admitted to Beijing Research Institute for Tuberculosis Control from 2011 to 2020,and compared them with the data of 2275 non-elderly patients of the same period. Results From 2011 to 2020, the elderly TB patients registered in Beijing Research Institute for Tuberculosis Control accounted for 21.66% (629/2904) of all TB patients in the same period. In recent 10 years, the proportion of elderly patients increased year by year (13.78% (43/312), 19.24% (71/369), 15.50% (53/342), 18.33% (66/360), 21.57% (55/255), 21.27% (57/268), 14.29% (30/210), 28.77% (84/292), 34.22% (90/263), 34.33% (80/233),Z_trend=5.046,P<0.001).There were 392 males and 237 females, and the ratio of male to female was 1.65∶1. 60-64 age group was the main age group, which was 24.01% (151/629) of all elderly patients. Primary patients accounted for 80.29% (505/629) and retreatment patients accounted for 19.71% (124/629);The proportion of retreatment among elderly patients was significantly higher than that of non-elderly patients (8.09%, 184/2275,χ²=70.247,P<0.001).The etiologically positive rate and smear positive rate of elderly patients were 50.87% (320/629) and 42.45% (267/629), respectively, which were significantly higher than those of non-elderly patients (30.07% (684/2275) and 25.41% (578/2275),χ²=94.324,P<0.001; χ²=69.366,P<0.001).The patient delay rate of elderly patients (61.69%, 388/629) was significantly higher than that of non-elderly patients (45.19%, 1028/2275; χ²=53.684,P<0.001). The diagnosis delay rate of elderly patients was 33.55% (211/629), no significant difference was found compared with that of non-elderly patients (29.89%, 680/2275; χ²=3.096, P=0.079).The median time from disease onset to medical visit for elderly patients (27 (5,68) d) was significantly higher than that for non-elderly patients (11 (1,38) d, U=-7.563,P<0.001). The median time from medical visit to TB diagnosis was 6 (0,28) d, no significant difference was found compared with non-elderly patients in the same period (7 (1,18) d, U=-0.799, P=0.425). Conclusion Compared with non-elderly patients, elderly pulmonary TB patients were characterized with high etiologically positive rate, high smear positive rate, high retreatment rate, high patient delay rate, long time of patient delay. We should strengthen active detection of elderly TB patients, especially by organizing regular health examinations and further reducing the detection and diagnosis delay.

Key words: Tuberculosis,pulmonary, Aged, Epidemiologic study characteristics as topic, Comparative study