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Objective: to describe the social construction of the social concept of pulmonary tuberculosis that, from the perspective of nurses, emerges from concepts based on stigma. Method: descriptive study, qualitative approach, with 12 nurses from centers of pneumological diagnosis in northern Portugal. Data collected in November 2020 and January 2021 by semi-structured interview, subsequently analyzed by content analysis methodology. Results: from the participants' discourses, the concept of pulmonary tuberculosis emerges. The understanding of the disease is surrounded by myths and taboos, with a bleak prognosis, causes fear of contagion, death, fear, shame, estrangement, social isolation and denial of the disease. Among nurses, talking about tuberculosis is a topic to avoid, it is an area that causes confusion and fear. Final considerations: the concept of the word tuberculosis persists rooted in concepts and prejudices. Social stigma remains at its core and perpetuates its negative concept to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis is a global health problem that requires effective treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that treatment should be tailored and supervised. Portugal has adhered to this strategy, but no studies on this issue were identified. Objective: To describe the implications of Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis control in Portugal. Methodology: Exploratory and descriptive study with a sample of 303 people suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, in Pulmonary Diagnostic Centers, in Northern Portugal, between March 2019 and January 2020. Results: DOT was the treatment modality used in 88.1% of the sample. Most participants (75.9% of women and 66.3% of men) received treatment under the supervision of a nurse in the health care units. Patients' expectations do not seem to be a priority. Decision-making regarding the adopted strategy is left to the health professionals and does not seem to prioritize the patient's participation. Conclusion: The DOT modality is a source of dissatisfaction, aggravates patients' financial burden, and promotes social stigma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]