ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to examine the implication of radiation and microbiological methods in the timely detection and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in untried prisoners in an investigatory isolation ward. Fluorographic films made in 12,298 convicts were analyzed. Abnormal fluorograms were revealed in 14 and 7.7% of the untried prisoners in 2005 and 2006, respectively; the changes were tuberculosis-associated in 70.2% of cases. Fluorescence microscopy and inoculation were used to carry out sputum tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 41.1% of the convicts with abnormal fluorograms and complaints about productive cough. Early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was made by microscopy in 14.9% of the prisoners; the diagnosis of tuberculosis was verified by the inoculation test in 34.5% of negative microscopy patients. In the remaining patients, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was based on X-ray studies and the results of treatment.
