The response of sputum-positive tuberculosis in Jamaica to drug and hospital treatment - abstract

This paper deals with the immediate results following hospital treatment with rest, drugs and surgery on a series of 200 consecutive ward admissions in the sanatorium in Jamaica from the end of 1952 through 1955. The patients all had positive sputum at the date of their admission to the sanitorium, and were in the lower income brackets. 60 percent suffered from far advanced tuberculosis, 34 per cent from moderately advanced disease and 6 per cent from minimal lesions. Treatment varied according to the needs of the patient, and consisted basically of rest with long-term combined drugs, supplemented by surgery where necessary. Pneumoperitoneum was used in addition to rest and drugs in 29 per cent of the patients. 3 of the 200 patients died in hospital, and 12 (6 per cent) remained in the hospital at the date of observation. Of the patients discharged 77.5 per cent of the advanced group left with a good prognosis, and 83.8 per cent of the moderately advanced group also left with a good prognosis. All minimal cases did well. On the whole, women did somewhat better than men. In the final analysis, of the original 200 patients 81 per cent left hospital with a good prognosis. 8 per cent

Changing trends in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in Jamaica

A brief review of changing concepts with regard to the treatment of tuberculosis in Jamaica has been given. Pneumothorax, once so popular, led to many difficulties as a result of too frequent and faulty application. Its popularity declined as more primary thoracoplasty was done. The advent of chemotherapy and pulmonary resection has again altered the outlook for the better. It is believed that with the present regime more patients get better more quickly, and have a better outlook than once was the case (AU)

Isonicotinic acid hydrazide in the treatment of tuberculosis

Isonicotinic acid hydrazide, or Isonaizid as it is now known, received such publicity in the lay press during the original work on it at Sea View Hospital that it had come to be thought of by patients, as well as by some members of the medical profession, as the long awaited miracle drug for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Early papers pointed out its rapid and virtually universal effectiveness on the clinical course of all forms of advanced tuberculosis, though they admitted that radiological improvement was usually only very slight. Further use on the drug has failed in many cases to show the same striking effects reported from Sea View Hospital. Eleven patients have been treated for periods varying from 66 to 88 days in the King George V Jubilee Memorial Sanatorium, Jamaica, using Isoniazed in a daily dose of 4 mgm. per kilogram of body weight. In spite of the small number in the series the results have been felt worthy of record, as they have differed so markedly from those originally reported after the initial trials at Sea View Hospital. Why this difference should occur is not known. Perhaps the drug is one that only experts a significant effect upon the highly toxic case. Results in this series, however, tend to show that Isoniazid, though admittedly of value in some cases, is by no means the "miracle" drug of earlier newspaper publicity (AU)