Failure of diagnosis as a factor in tuberculosis mortality.

In British Columbia between January 1970 and December 1974 active tuberculosis was diagnosed only after death in 69 cases; this was more frequent for miliary tuberculosis (31% of reported cases) than for advanced pulmonary tuberculosis (3% of cases). Although 28% of the patients were more than 75 years old, some were much younger, and 38% of the latter were alcoholics. More than 50% of the patients had been hospitalized before death, for a mean of 14.5 days; they were most frequently thought to have pneumonia or cancer at the time of death. Clearly, increased awareness of the continuing presence of tuberculosis in our society is needed.