In order to measure the risk of new infection among contacts, 21 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were discharged as outpatients after being treated in hospital for approximately 2 weeks. Sputum smears and cultures were positive for tubercle bacilli in most patients when they were discharged. Tuberculin testing of 107 contacts before the patients were discharged revealed 74 (69 per cent) who were tuberculin negative. Great variability was noted in the number of reactors per patient. No conversions occurred among 72 previously tested tuberculin negative contacts. Tuberculin conversions in 2 contacts were related to another source case and not to early discharge of the patients. The investigation suggested that after a few weeks, many tuberculous patients on chemotherapy can be discharged safely without additional risk to contacts. Sputum smear or culture should not be used as the only criterion for discharge.
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Brooks et al. (1973) studied this question.