[Cooperation between public health centers and hospitals in tuberculosis control--how should clinical nurses and public health nurses work together?].
The result of cohort analysis of the patients newly registered from Jan. 1, 1994 until Dec. 31, 1995, showed that 49,824 (84.2%) patients out of a total of 59,150 patients had been cured or completed. On the other hand, there were 1,527 (2.6%) failure cases, 2,521 (4.3%) defaulters, and 5,287 (8.9%) deaths due to TB or other causes. The treatment outcome for smear positive tuberculosis was less favorable. Thus, the Japan's tuberculosis treatment program has not yet achieved the global target of WHO, i.e., the cure rate of 85% of smear positive patients. The Ministry of Health and Welfare declared "TB Emergency" on July 26, 1999. It was a warning to the general public of Japan, as well as to the medical and health professions and central and local governments against their neglect of the tuberculosis problem that has been slow in its improvement since long, and recently has been in upsurge, accompanied by the emergence of formidable problems such as outbreaks of tuberculosis, nosocomial infections and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. The public health and the clinical service both have their heavy mission to respond to this declaration hand in hand, fulfilling their respective professional duties to the society. The symposium confirmed that under such situation of the problem, the cooperation between clinical service and public health is very essential and can be very effective in order to improve the results of treatment program for the sake of patients' QOL and for prevention of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis as well. This was warmly supported by the enthusiasm of the audience with various questions and discussion.
Tsuji
M
M
Osaka Prefectural Habikino Hospital.
Yamashita
T
T
D015331:Cohort Studies; D003151:Community Health Centers; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology