The Chemotherapy of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and the Early Treatment

Abstract

1; 240 sanatorium in-patients under various regimes of chemotherapy have been observed for 8 to 12 months. They were divided in three groups according to their duration of the ilolness before the proper treatment had begun and compared the results of X-ray change and the rate of sputum conversion to determine the difference between an early treatment and a late treatment.2; The group Ⅰ. who began the treatment within 6 monts after the onset of disease showed the marked improvement in 70% of Far Advanced to 80% of Minimal while the group Ⅲ who had began the treatment after 13 months of illness showed in 0% of F. A. & Min. to 10% of M. A. the group Ⅱ who began the treatment on 6 to 12 months showed the marked improvement 10% of F. A. & Min. to 33% of M. A.The meaning g of Marked improvement used here is limited by the author for more than 80% improvement or case which had to change the original classification due to the improvement. The progression of the disease has been noticed only below than 5% in group Ⅰ and 0% to 10% in group Ⅱ and 5% to 20% in group Ⅲ.The rate of sputum conversion showed also simillar trends but it did not completely paralleled with the X-ray change, showing 20%to 70% for the group Ⅰ and 10% to 30% for the group Ⅱand group Ⅲ.3; Since the author believes that the chemotherapy is a causative treatment and nothing to do directly with the consequences of the disese the early diagnosis and the early treatment should be considered more important than ever. Judging from the results of the group Ⅰ. which showed the remarkable improvement in 70 to 80%. if the early treatment had been in practice in this country, the majority case of pulmonary tuberculosis could been easily controlled with present antimicrobials in use and the efforts of seeking new miracle drugs would have been converted to make the earlier diagnosis.