Anthracosilico-Tuberculosis as Seen in a General Hospital

¹ Kingston, Pennsylvania

1. Sixty-eight per cent of 82 patients with active tuberculosis seen in a general hospital between 1951 and 1961 had underlying anthracosilicosis and progressive massive fibrosis.

2. There was no evidence that this incidence was tapering off during recent years —actually an increase was observed during the last four years.

3. The mean age was 59.3 years, higher than we had anticipated. Recognition of active tuberculosis depended upon the acuity and awareness of the physician, as well as upon the difficulty in obtaining bacilli in the sputum. As much as three months elapsed from time of admission to the hospital to positive diagnosis.

4. We suggest a four-point community wide program to find active tuberculosis in coal miners. This means: (a) maintaining an anthracosilicosis case registry; (b) tuberculin testing all miners with progressive massive fibrosis; (c) obtaining annual sputum examinations, and (d) taking annual chest x-ray films of those on the anthracosilicosis registry.