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  • Title: [Clinical evaluation of the cause of death in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis].
    Author: Kobashi Y, Matsushima T, Okimoto N, Hara Y.
    Journal: Kekkaku; 2002 Dec; 77(12):771-5. PubMed ID: 12607334.
    Abstract:
    We made a clinical analysis of the cause of death of forty deceased patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis who were admitted to Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital, and Asahigaoka Hospital during the period from January 1996 to December 2001. The age of 40 deceased patients (29 males/11 females) ranged from 55 to 93 years old, and were mostly bedridden. Underlying diseases existed in all except one case, and they were respiratory diseases in 9 patients and non-respiratory diseases in 34 patients. Laboratory findings revealed poor nutritional conditions. The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was established within one month from the appearance of symptoms in over half of these patients because most of them were smear positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. None of the strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from these patients were multidrug resistant for antituberculous drugs and only one strain was completely resistant for Rifampicin. Radiological findings of the tuberculosis were bilateral in 30 patients. Consolidation shadows without cavity were noted in 22 patients, and extension within the unilateral lung field was observed in 24 patients. Regarding the cause of death, advanced pulmonary tuberculosis was the cause in 17 patients and non-tuberculous diseases were the cause in 23 patients. There were 15 patients with bacterial superinfections such as bacterial pneumonia, 4 with malignancy, and 4 with other disease. The number of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in poor general and nutritional condition has been increasing with the aging of the Japanese population. Treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis has been successful in most cases, however, the number of the deaths unrelated to tuberculosis including those due to bacterial superinfection has been increasing. Therefore, treatment should be considered against resistant microoganisms such as MRSA.
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