[Management of mycobacteriosis in general hospital without isolation ward for tuberculosis patients. 1. Diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial diseases in a community general hospital].

94 patients with tuberculosis were identified in a 236-bed community general hospital without a dedicated tuberculosis ward from June 1986 to February 1998. 69 patients had bacteriological proof of tuberculosis, and the remaining 25 had clinical evidence thereof. The mean age of all patients was 63.0 years (range: 23-89 years), and the male to female ratio was 2:1. 70 of these cases were admitted. During this same period of time, the total number of inpatients admitted to the internal medicine ward reached around 11,000. Excluding 6 cases who were referred to other hospitals with a tuberculosis ward, the mean duration of hospital stay of the remaining 64 cases was 51.6 days. Among all 94 cases, 62 had pulmonary tuberculosis and the other 32 had extrapulmonary manifestations. The latter group was comprised of 11 with miliary dissemination, 8 pleuritis, 4 osteomyelitis, 2 peritonitis, 2 urinary tract disease, 1 pericarditis, 1 intestinal disease, 1 meningitis, 1 intracranial tuberculoma and 1 genital disease. 3 cases of miliary tuberculosis with dissemination died with antemortem diagnoses of fever of unknown origin, pneumonia, and lung cancer with brain metastasis. These 3 cases illustrate the importance of heightened suspicion of tuberculosis among our patient population. Referral of patients with positive sputum smears to hospitals with a tuberculosis ward has occasionally been difficult because of inaccessibility. Critical comorbid diseases such as chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis and malignancies are additional limiting factors to transfer to such facilities. Therefore, because of the prevalence and extent of this disease, its myriad clinical presentations, challenges associated with establishing an early diagnosis, and need to prevent spread to family, other patients, and staff, dedicated beds for care of tuberculosis in general hospitals are mandatory.