Tuberculosis and Cardiopulmonary Failure

¹ University Clinic for Tuberculosis

We have made an investigation of cardiopulmonary failure in tuberculosis over the years 1946-1957. Our experience demonstrates the increased incidence of cardiopulmonary failure in the post war years in the face of a continuous fall in mortality from tuberculosis. The factors increasing this incidence are:

1. The duration of tuberculosis before admission to the clinic has increased almost three-fold in the past ten years—from 2.8 years in 1947 to 7.5 years in 1957.

2. The average age of patients who died at the clinic has increased from 37 to 57.5 years from 1947 to 1957.

3. There has been an increase in retractive fibrotic tuberculosis.

4. In two-thirds of the patients where cor pulmonale was found at necropsy, it was missed by routine clinical examination.