Clinical evaluation on causes of death in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis during the past 3 years (1994 to 1996)]

We evaluated the cause of death in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis during the past 3 years (1994 to 1996). Of 502 tuberculous patients, 58 (11.6%) patients died. Most of them were aged or under poor nutritional conditions. Of 378 active tuberculous patients, 39 (10.3%) patients died (group A). Of 124 old tuberculous patients or cases with extensive sequelae of tuberculosis, 19 (23.4%) patients died (group B). In the group A, 15 patients died in spite of improvements in tuberculosis lesions. All the intubated patients with active tuberculosis died. In the group B, most of patients died of respiratory failure or pneumonia.