Pregnancy and pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

One hundred seventeen cases of pregnancy and pulmonary tuberculosis in one hundred ten individuals were reviewed.Of the fifty-four patients with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, six, or 13.6 per cent, became active, but there is nothing to prove that they would not have become reactivated in any event.Of the thirty-three patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, 75.8 per cent were either dead or still had active disease present and 24.2 per cent were inactive.Of the thirty patients who had therapeutic abortion, 40 per cent were dead or still active and 60 per cent were inactive. If only the active cases are considered, the figures are 47.8 per cent and 52.2 per cent.These results when compared with the previous statement are surprising, but no conclusions are drawn at this time. The two groups were not identical as to stage of disease.The forceps rate did not deviate greatly from the forceps rate for the hospital generally.Premature labor occurred in 13.3 per cent of the cases as compared to the general figure of 5.7 per cent. The babies were all born alive and the incidence of neonatal deaths was not appreciably increased.The third stage was abnormal in 9.5 per cent of the cases.