Tuberculose, uma doença social – estudo casuístico em internamento hospitalar**Trabalho realizado no Serviço de Pneumologia (internamento) do Hospital de S. João do Porto, Director do Serviço de Pneumologia: Prof. Doutor J. Agostinho Marques

ABSTRACTIn Portugal, as in the World, tuberculosis continues to represent a serious problem of public health, being even considered as a social di sease.Some aspects of social disadvantage and economic are related with the increase of the incidence of the tuberculosis, namely the poverty, degraded and crowded houses, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to cares of health and lifestyles.The present study was based on 30 patients with tuberculosis in the Service of Pneumology of Hospital de S. João – Porto, in the period understood among April 1, and December 31, 2000.Made the revision study at the social level, economic, cultural, of the accessibility to the services of health and the level of the disease, was verified that tuberculosis happened more in the age group between 15-24 years and 25-34 years, more in the men (90%) than in the women, existing a narrow correlation between tuberculosis and socio economic conditions (house, work, low economic capacity and alcoholism), thus constituting an important reason of admission, being the pulmonary tuberculosis the most frequent and the most important in the aspect of public health.The General Management of Health and the Regional Administrations of Health, through purposes and goals, conjugate efforts in the sense of accomplishing the defined goals by the World Organization of Health with view to obtain results comparable to the other countries of the European Union.REV PORT PNEUMOL 2002; VIII (1): 21-3