[The clinical features of ultra-old tuberculosis patients in our hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the clinical features of ultra-old patients over 85 years of age who were admitted to our hospital for tuberculosis treatment.


METHODS
Clinical features of tuberculosis patients over 85 years of age who were admitted to our hospital from January, 1996 to May, 2003 were analyzed in relation to their disease status, complications and prognosis.


RESULTS
They showed a high tuberculin negative rate (26.2%) and a low rate of cavity formation (21.8%), and the smear positive rate of tubercle bacilli was not high (51.2%). As to the complications, cerebrovascular disorders were overwhelmingly high (62.2%) and the death rate due to side effects of drugs was high. The sputum smear positive rate was higher (70%) among patients from nursing home.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of tuberculosis was often delayed with high mortality rate due to side effects of drugs among ultra-old patients and tuberculosis infection control measures to contacts are often needed.
Yano
Shuichi
S
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, National Matsue Hospital, 5-8-31, Agenogi, Matsue-shi, Shimane 690-8556, Japan. yano@matsue.hosp.go.jp
Kobayashi
Kanako
K
Kato
Kazuhiro
K
Morita
Masato
M
Tatsukawa
Toshiyuki
T
Ikeda
Toshikazu
T
D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001510:Bed Rest; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology