This study was performed in 117 patients infected by HIV, admitted to a reference hospital, in a period of one year (from 10/1/95 to 9/30/1996). All patients were 15 years old or more and had their sputum collected for AFB research, by clinical indication. All the 117 collected samples were submitted to bacilloscopic examination and 116 to culture (due to contamination in one sample) and also drug susceptibility test in all the 39 isolated strains. The strains were evaluated by PNB and TCH tests, and sent to a reference laboratory to typify the specimens. The bacilloscopic examination was positive in 34.2% (40/117) of the samples. From the 39 isolated strains, three did not belong to the M. tuberculosis complex (M. avium intracellulare in two, and one not identified strain). The resistance rate attributed separately to the M. tuberculosis was 13.90% (5/36). Resistance was not found that could be attributed to a single drug and the combination responsible for the highest resistance rate was that of rifampicin and isoniazid. The primary and secondary resistance was 20% (4/20) and 9.1% (1/10), respectively. Among social-demographic and clinical aspects, drug resistance was just significantly associated to a larger number of previous hospitalization (p < 0.03). These data suggest an intrahospital possible transmission of MDR (multi drug resistant) strains, among patients infected by HIV.

Keywords: mycobacterium tuberculosis; tuberculosis, pulmonary; drug resistance; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome