TUBERCULOSIS DURING PREGNANCY - THE RHODE-ISLAND EXPERIENCE, 1987 TO 1991

Although recent studies have reported otherwise, previous conventional wisdom has held that one-half to two-thirds of pregnant women with tu berculosis are asymptomatic. If true, this has important implications for screening programs. Charts of all patients with culture-proven Myc obacterium tuberculosis in Rhode Island between 1987 and 1991 were rev iewed. One-third of women aged 21 to 32 years with culture-proven tube rculosis were pregnant at time of diagnosis (7 pregnant; 15 nonpregnan t). Pregnant patients with pulmonary conditions were more likely to be found through routine screening (p=0.008) and to be asymptomatic (p=0 .008). In addition, pregnant women with pulmonary conditions were more likely to present with unilateral noncavitary, smear-negative disease (p=0.02). If routine screening is not performed prenatally with radio graphic follow-up of all infected individuals, most pregnant women wil l not have their conditions diagnosed and, therefore, will not be trea ted in time to prevent risk to the fetus, the newborn, and the obstetr ic ward.-