FRECUENCIA DE MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS EN PACIENTES ATENDIDOS EN EL HOSPITAL VICENTE CORRAL MOSCOSO. CUENCA 2023- 2024

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis affected approximately 10.6 million people worldwide in 2023, establishing itself as a major public health problem. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of the disease, is an acid-alcohol-resistant bacillus with a cell wall rich in lipids and mycolic acids, which gives it high resistance and persistence. Its slow replication, facultative intracellular nature, and potential for drug resistance highlight the importance of timely diagnosis using microbiological and molecular methods such as Lowenstein-Jensen culture, MGIT liquid culture, and GeneXpert. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of M. tuberculosis in patients treated at the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital in Cuenca during the period 2023–2024. A descriptive, retrospective, crosssectional study was conducted, analyzing variables such as age, sex, origin, and diagnostic methods. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and IBM SPSS Statistics 21. The results showed a tuberculosis frequency of 9.20%. Positive cases were mainly found in patients aged 18 to 65 years (57.98%), predominantly male (57.87%) and from rural areas (64.51%). Lung samples were the most frequent (58.99%). The MGIT, GeneXpert, and Lowenstein-Jensen methods showed a uniform positivity rate of 33.33%. Most cases did not show resistance to rifampicin (68%), while confirmed resistance was low (4%), predominantly in rural areas. MGIT positivity was mainly observed between the second and third week of incubation.