Frequency and Rade of Chemotherapeutic Resistant Tubercle Bacilli Observed When Examining T. B. Patients

Abstract

The frequent appearance of chemotherapeutic agents resistant tubercle bacilli among T .B patients is becoming a serious public health hazard and a clinically important problem from the stand-point of evaluating the effectiveness of chemotherapy employed and in the selection of Anti-T.B. drugs to adopt by the physician.this report concerns the frequency and rate chemotherapeutic agents resistant tubercle bacilli were observed to be present among 86 T.B. patients currently under chemotherapy at the Seoul Dispensary, sponsored by The Korean National Tuberculosis Association. All 86 patients stated at the time of initial examination that they had not received previous chemotherapy. However, close questioning, following the initial examination, revealed that about half of them had received previous Anti-T.B. drugs, but were uncertain as to what kind.The following are the results of the initial examination of all 86 patients. Results of Re-examination after eliminating patients who had taken Anti-T. B. drugs of unknown type. Othcr conclusions indicated by the examination arc as f ollows:1. By extent of disease; the appearance, of resistant tubercle bacilli to chemotherapeutic agents was more frequently observed in far advanced cases ( 15.1 %) than minimal cases ( 6. 9 %) or moderately advanced cases (4.6%).2. By pathological nature; the appearance of tubercle bacilli resistant to chemotherapeutic agents is more frequently seen in cavitary disease (48.8'%) than exudative disease ( 36.4 %) or fibrotic ( 5.8 %) and mixed forms (9.3 %).3. The longer period of time a patient is under chemotherapy seems to parallel his íncreased rate of resistant tubercle bacilli.