[Patient's delay and doctor's delay in the pulmonary tuberculosis--the experience of the National Chiba Higashi Hospital].

Out of 1628 tuberculosis patient discharged from the to National Chiba Higashi Hospital, 537 previously untreated pulmonary tuberculosis patients were selected for the study to examine the delay in case-defection. Patient's delay were longer but doctor's delay were shorter in male than in female. The main reasons for doctor's delay were the delay in taking chest X-ray, and the error in the interpretation of initial chest X-ray findings. In 88 patients who were detected in the advanced stage, the total delay were longer than the others common cases and the doctor's delay was found in 13 cases. To avoid such an unnecessary delay, the importance of sputum examinations must be re-emphasized in all patients who show respiratory symptoms and/or abnormal chest X-ray findings.