The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

PU6LI5AAEDBYTAE NORTA CAROLINAA STATE B^ARD^^ B^ARD'^AEALTAIBAEALTAVol. 66 NOVEMBER, 1951 No. 11J. W. R. NORTON, M.D., M.P.H., State Health Officer JOHN H. HAMILTON, M.D., EditorACTIVITIES OF THE TUBERCULOSIS CONTROLSECTION, DIVISION OF EPIDEMIOLOGYBy William A. Smith, M.D.State Board of Health, Raleigh, N. C.1. GENERALa. The Tuberculosis Section, Divisionof Epidemiology, has been in operationsince January, 1945. During 1945, thisSection X-rayed only 18,242 persons dueto a shortage of personnel and equipment.Begirming January 1, 1946, operationsbecame more active and duringthat year over 200,000 persons wereexamined.Prior to 1947, the Section was assistedby the U. S. Public Health Service whichfurnished both equipment and personnel.In February, 1947 this assistancewas withdrawn; and since then, theState Board of Health has used its ownpersonnel and equipment in carryingout surveys. To date, over 1,400,000 personshave been X-rayed by our units;and of these it is estimated that over42,000 have been re-examined on accountof definite or suspected chest disease.Hence, over one-half the X-rayablepopulation of North Carolina has beenexamined by the State Board of Health.There are thirteen counties whichperform their own X-ray surveys and alarge niomber of counties and cities, 84in number which maintain active tuberculosisclinics. The people of NorthCarolina, therefore, are well served withX-ray diagnostic facilities.The mission of the Tuberculosis Sectionis to:(1) Conduct community-wide X-raysurveys of the general population andspecial groups. Tliis is done throughcounty or city health oflBcers.(2) Maintain a consultant nursingservice.(3) Carry out health education incormection with publicity prior to andduring community-wide surveys.(4) Maintain liaison with:1. State Institutions for better casefinding2. Director of the State Sanatoria3. State and local tuberculosis associations4. Local Health Departments forplanning tuberculosis surveys andother matters relating to tuberculosiscontrol5. The N. C. Division of VocationalRehabilitation6. The State Board of Pubhc WelfareCommunity-wide chest X-ray surveysof the general population are considered"the spearhead of the attack on tuberculosis."Such surveys have been supportedby the U. S. Public Health Servicefor several years and have beenconducted by practically aU states andterritories. It is recognized that theX-ray is the most reliable method ofdiagnosis of chest disease and offers thebest opportunities in case supervision.A tuberculosis control program is incompletewithout facilities for X-ray