[Level of sanitary-hygienic knowledge and habits of tuberculosis patients and ways of raising it].

The anonymous questionnaire method was used for the study of the level of sanitary-hygienic awareness and habits of 236 tuberculosis patients on admission and during their stay in a antituberculosis dispensary. Studies among the newly-admitted patients have revealed significant differences in the level of tuberculosis awareness. More than 40% of the patients had no idea of the infectious nature of the disease on the day of admission, two-thirds of them did not know about a source of infection, factors and ways of tuberculosis transmission and nearly 90% could not handle sputum and use spitoons, toilet accessories and disinfectants. The level of patients' awareness and habits related to tuberculosis prophylaxis undergoes basic changes and reaches 98-100% provided all forms and methods of sanitary education and training are fully employed during their stay at antituberculosis hospitals. Interestingly, the more time the patient stays at a hospital, the less he believes in his cure. Questionnaires revealed a high-risk group of patients (29.7%) who present danger for the subjects around in respect to tuberculosis dissemination due to the infringement of the sanitary-hygienic and therapeutic and preventive requirements and recommendations.