FAILURE OF DIAGNOSIS AS A FACTOR IN TUBERCULOSIS MORTALITY

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 118  (12) , 1520-1522
Abstract
In British Columbia between Jan. 1970 and Dec. 1974 active tuberculosis was diagnosed only after death in 69 cases; this was more frequent for miliary tuberculosis (31% of reported cases) than for advanced pulmonary tuberculosis (3% of cases). Although 28% of the patients were more than 75 yr old, some were much younger, and 38% of the latter were alcoholics. More than 50% of the patients were hospitalized before death, for a mean of 14.5 days; they were most frequently thought to have pneumonia or cancer at the time of death. Increased awareness of the continuing presence of tuberculosis is needed.