[A profile of the smoker with pulmonary tuberculosis]

A group of 485 subjects suffering from lung tb admitted in the Institute of Pneumophthisiology "M. Nasta" has been studied as for the relationships between found the lung disease and smoking. High frequency of smoking has been among these patients: 87.7% in males and 68.2% in females. These figures marquedly exceed the frequency of smoking in the whole population. The increase of frequency among females is more evident. No difference has been found as for the type of lesions between smokers and non-smokers. Smoking increases the gravity of associated diseases (e.g. chronic ethylism) evidencing the lack of health education of people in preventing this condition as well as the difficulties met by physicians in the implementation of smoking abandonment programs.