A CLINICAL COMPARISON OF TUBERCULOUS PATIENTS IN RURAL AND URBAN DISTRICTS

Abstract

This is a comparative study of the rural and urban groups of tuberculous patients with respect to the conditions of their disease at the time of their hospitalization and to the efficacy of chemotherapy.The cases of study consist of the typical rural and urban people of mixed sexes, in the 20-49 age bracket, picked up from among the 1, 800 inpatients of the 25 hospitals and sanatoriums, covering all parts of this land, to whom the author was allowed to get access through the courtesy of the said institutions. The results of study are summarized as follows:
1. Although there existed no particular difference between the two groups as to the conditions prior to hospitalization-length of time between the onset of illness and hospitalization, medical treatment received before hospitalization, etc.-at the time of hospitalization there were more cases, in the rural group than in the urban group, of exudative type, and more cases with the extent of lesions radiographically moderately or far advanced. Moreover, the former group had a higher percentage of proven cavity cases, often with large cavities, and of sputum-positive cases.
2. Tuberculosis among rural people was found to be rapidly progressing and disposed to get serious.
3. Comparative study of the efficacy of chemotherapy in the two groups, with similar background factors, showed a poorer rate of improvement after 6 months of treatment in the rural group, especially with respect to bacteriological conversion to negative.
4. Deliberation on the factors which contribute to the ingravescence of rural patients made the author feel the need for further study of various factors, including undernutrition, acting upon the rural people's predisposition to disease.