[Current incidence of the aged among hospitalized tuberculosis patients]

A survey including 10 442 tuberculosis patients hospitalized in a sanatorium showed that 1 086 (10.42%) were 65 years old or older, the proportion increasing from 5.21% in 1964 to 12.78% in 1973 (p less than 0.001). The patients over 70 represented 3.73% of the total, increasing twofold in the course of ten years, from 2.37% to 4.15% (p less than 0.05). There was a rural prevalence, i.e. 11.9% as against 6.85% from urban areas (p less than 0.001), and in the over 70 years age group 4.13% as against 2.74% (p less than 0.001).