In:
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, Vol. 9, No. 1 ( 1960-12-01), p. 53-59
Abstract:
INTRODUCTIONIt is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 patients with active pulmonarytuberculosis and less than 4,000 sanatorium beds in Korea(7). Therefore. the majority of patients including those who are infections remain at home and come to the clinic for drugs and X-rays.The importance of contact examination in tuberculosis has been recognized formany years. It is probable that the first organized scheme for the examination of contacts was in Edinburgh in 1887( 1).Attempts were made to diagnose the disease at an early stage and to institute treatment. The importance of contact examination and of the increased tuberculo3is morbidity among contacts was stressed by various authors(2 ,3). The purpose of this study is to present the morbidity rates of tuberculosis contacts and to find factors which influence it. lt is also felt that this study might give us valuable information as to the most useful methods in the control of the disease.RESULTS1. A total of 900 index case3 were registered at Chest Clinic in Severance, Red Cross, Seoul City Dongboo, Joongboo and Seoul City Yong Dung Po Hospitals in 1959. Of these index cases there were 3, 526 household contacts.2. Among these contacts 3,002, or 85.2%, were X-rayed and 357, or 11.9%, were found to have active pulmonary tuberculosis.3. The attendance was lower in the older age groups and children under ten years of age. The attendance was slightly better for female than for male contacts.4. Morbidity rates are closely related to the age, sex, extent of disease, bacteriologic status of source cases and relationship to their source cases and also according to whether they live in the same or a different room.5. The morbidity rate varies considerably accoding to the age and sex of the contacts.6. In primary tuberculosis parents were the main souκe of the infection.7. There was a considerable number of hidden source cases among the older age groups of contacts.8. The examination of contacts is the most effective way to find active cases, to make an early diagnosis and to institute treatment.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1738-3536
,
2005-6184
DOI:
10.4046/trd.1960.9.1.53
Language:
English
Publisher:
The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
Publication Date:
1960
