[A computerized information system of bacillary tuberculosis in the Czech Socialist Republic (author's transl)]

The automated information system for bacillary tuberculosis is based on the registration of all positive mycobacterial examinations in the 43 tuberculosis laboratories in CSR. Data on the patient, the health service reporting, the kind of the material examined, and the actual microbiological examination including the identification of species and sensibility to antituberculotics are surrendered to the computer by means of a punched card or tape. On the base of the entrance information all sources are collected in the computer the data input being checked in regard to accuracy of the parts and logical relationship to the various variables. All sources of information of the data bank, made actual concerning the mycobacterial examinations are available to the programme. Another programme is supplementing the information on tests for identification and antituberculotic sensibility of the mycobacteria. With the aid of other programmes regular monthly summaries are done by the data bank for the cooperating laboratories and the specialists in the districts and countries. Finally another programme answers the evaluation of the annual reports of the mycobacterial investigations and reports on the epidemiological data of the diseased persons. In 1977 13,909 notifications of tuberculosis findings were analysed, coming from 3,782 persons. This analysis made evident the following conclusions reflecting the recent situation of mycobacteriologic diagnostics and the significance of the tuberculosis problem in communities with a low tuberculosis prevalence: a) The prevalence of bacillary tuberculosis in CSR (37/100,000) is ranging in the various districts between 27 and 44/100,000. The prevalence of persons with proof of mycobacteria already by smear amounts to 10/100,000 inhabitants. b) The highest portion of bacillary tuberculosis comes from persons with symptoms (45%), it amounts to 17% in persons with active tuberculosis already in dispensary care, to 15% in persons with fibrotic lesions and 14% in recidives. After a five year experience with the computerized information system of bacillary tuberculosis the authors recommended to centralize and to combine it with the central state tuberculosis register in order to utilize the data and evaluated in the level of the districts and countries as well for the management of the tuberculosis control programme in the level of the whole state.