[Current aspects of drug resistance of the Koch bacillus in the area of one district]. / Aspecte actuale ale chimiorezistentei bacilului Koch în teritoriul unui judet.

Some aspects were analyzed, of drug resistance of primary and secondary type in mycobacteria strains from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in a district area, between 1975 and 1979. The results were compared with those obtained in a similar study performed in 1971--1974. While the primary resistance has persisted at an approximately similar level under the aspects of frequency and incidence in the two periods (11% and 13,6%, and 4,0-- and 4,5% respectively), the secondary resistance has marked a significant decrease (36% and 12,3 per 100 000 inhabitants in 1979). The intensive use in the recent years of rifampicin and etambutol in the therapy of tuberculosis explains the new aspects noted in the structure of the primary and of the secondary drug resistance. Thus, an increase was noted in resistance to rifampicin, which, between 1977 and 1979 was above the values recorded for primary resistance to streptomycin.

[Considerations on the differentiated integration of bacteriological examinations for M. tuberculosis in some health units of the city of Jassy]. / Consideratii privind integrarea diferentiata a examenului bacteriologic pentru M. tuberculosis în cîteva unitati sanitare din orasul Iasi.

The authors make an analysis of the modalities for the integration of the bacteriological examinations for M. tuberculosis in 3 sanitary units in the city of Jassy. In view of detecting pulmonary tuberculosis, although an improvement was noted in the activity of integration, an intensification is necessary of the culture examination in the present stage of the tuberculous endemia. Also a more close cooperation is necessary between laboratories from sanitary units, and with the central laboratory for cultures of M. tuberculosis. With regard to extra-respiratory tuberculosis the large number of demands for bacteriological examinations from the hospital as well as from the ambulatory units, makes necessary the organization of diagnostic centres by specialities.

[The effectiveness of some culture media with pyruvic acid bases for the isolation of mycobacteria from sputum]. / Consideratii privind eficienta unor medii de cultura pe baza acid piruvic pentru izolarea microbacteriilor din sputa.

The authors have studied the value of culture media based on pyruvic acid (the Dixon medium and an original medium called P.T.) in the isolation of mycobacteria from sputum, as compared with the Löwenstein-Jensen medium. The studies were carried out in two groups of patients: 1043 samples were collected from ambulatory patients and 1740 samples were collected from hospitalized patients. The superiority of the Dixon and of the P.T. media was confirmed by the increased percentage of positive cultures (11% and 20% respectively) as compared with the Löwenstein-Jensen medium. With these media it was possible to isolate mycobacteria 7--14 days earlier than with the other media. On the basis of the results obtained the authors recommend the use, in parallel, especially in those cases when the samples contain only a small number of bacteria, of the Löwenstein-Jensen medium and one of the media based on pyruvic acid.