[An analysis of the care for a tubercular patient. Problem detection].
OBJECTIVE: Make a epidemiological and descriptive analysis of the tuberculosis patients care, researching problems which may be the etiology of the increase of illness. DESIGN: Descriptive observing retrospective study. SETTING: Soria County. PATIENTS: 186 cases with positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture, since January 1, 1983 until December 31, 1993. RESULTS: The 65.4% of patients were hospitalized to make the diagnostic and/or to begin treatment. We found delayed diagnostics much as 5.5 years. The mean was 120.9 +/- 244.7 days until the diagnostic was performed, 1991 y 1992 were the highest delayed time to diagnostic years of the study. The diagnostic and control of the 99.5% of patients was done at hospital. Only a 64% of patients could be considered as healthy at the onset of his control. CONCLUSIONS: Most of physicians consider the tuberculosis as a hospital illness, so there are delayed diagnostic and therapeutics and worse control of evolution, therapy compliance and contacts study.