In this study, 215 patients who continued to excrete tubercle bacilli (chronic excretors) and were hospitalized in 18 sanatoria or chest hospitals in Aichi Prefecture were analysed.
The results were as follows:
1) 215 chronic excretors occupied 10.3% of total patients with tuberculosis admitted in hospitals.
2) Prognosis of chronic excretors was unfavourable; during 1 year after the first investigation, only 7 cases (3.3%) were discharged with the negative conversion of bacilli, 29 cases (13.5%) died of pulmonary tuberculosis, and 176 cases (81.9%) were still in hospital or discharged with positive bacilli.
3) Most of 170 chronic excretors who were investigated in detail were far advanced type by X-ray findings and were treated for long-period before the admission.
4) Applications of RFP and EB for chronic excretors were not effective, since most of effective chemotherapic drugs, including the above 2, were already used with failure.
