# Impact of Tuberculosis on People Living With HIV: A Deadly Enemy Revealed in a Cross-Sectional Study of the Colombian Caribbean

## TL;DR

This study examines how tuberculosis affects people with HIV in Colombia, finding that hospitalization and clinical confirmation are linked to higher mortality risks.

## Contribution

The study presents the first statistical model evaluating mortality in HIV-TB coinfection in the Department of Córdoba, Colombia.

## Key findings

- Hospitalization is associated with increased mortality in HIV-TB patients.
- Clinical confirmation of TB cases correlates with higher mortality risk.
- Variables like smear microscopy results show statistical significance in predicting mortality.

## Abstract

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) destroys CD4 lymphocytes and weakens the immune system, exposing the body to opportunistic infections. People with impaired cellular immunity due to HIV are at greater risk of complications from tuberculosis (TB), which implies a poor health prognosis. When diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are not performed promptly, the outcome can be fatal.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological behavior and factors associated with mortality in TB/HIV coinfection during the years 2015 to 2024 in the Department of Córdoba (Colombia).

Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using retrospective data obtained from event 813 notification forms from the National Public Health Surveillance System (Sivigila). Clinical and sociodemographic data, as well as laboratory reports, were collected. The information is described using graphical methods and numerical indices (measures of central tendency and dispersion). Categorized qualitative and quantitative variables were analyzed using contingency tables, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results: The sociodemographic variables studied were not statistically significant. The variables “hospitalization,” “type of case confirmation,” and “smear microscopy result” were found to have a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) with the final event of interest (deceased or alive).

Conclusions: An explanatory statistical model for mortality in patients with HIV-TB coinfection was evaluated for the first time in the Department of Córdoba (Colombia). Hospitalization and clinical confirmation of the case are associated with a higher risk of mortality. Further research is needed, utilizing different design techniques and fewer limitations, to corroborate the proposed findings.