[Reasons for the late diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the outpatient polyclinic network].
A total of 1019 patients were referred by polyclinics of Dushanbe to the Republic Tuberculosis Dispensary for examination and in 109 of them active tuberculosis of the lungs was diagnosed. In 41 of them, a degradation phase was stated and 38 isolated tubercle bacilli. Many of the patients with active tuberculosis of the lungs had been previously observed for prolonged periods by district therapists. Incorrect diagnoses of acute respiratory diseases, pneumonia, chronic nonspecific diseases of the lung and other diseases were recorded in their medical histories. In 0.97 per cent of the persons hospitalized in a therapeutic unit for various diseases of the viscera, acute pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed. Retrospective analysis of the outpatient and in-hospital histories of the new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis showed that the mistakes in the diagnoses at the outpatient stage were mainly due to imperfect medical examination of the patients.