Clinical Characteristics of Tuberculosis in Combat and Auxiliary Police in Korea

Moon, Chang Gi; Park, Sang Joon; Cho, Min Gu; Kim, Young Jung; Kim, So Yeon; Kim, Yoon Kwon; Jeong, Jun O; Ahn, Seok Jin; Kim, Eun Sil; Seo, Seung O; Kim, Ji Hoon; Choi, Won Je; Lee, Yoon Young; Park, Hyung Ki; Choi, Kyu Young; Kim, Hyun Keun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to document the incidence and clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis (TB) in combat and auxiliary police, living in a group, in Korea where the incidence rate of active TB in a general population is higher than in Western countries.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all tuberculosis patients diagnosed at National Police Hospital from January 2002 through December 2004.
RESULTS
In 2002-2004, a total of 156 cases of tuberculosis were identified with the mean (Standard deviation) age of 20.6 (+/-1.0) years. Of these, 134 (85.9%) patients were registered as new cases, 11 (7.1%) as relapse, 2 (1.3%) as failure, 5 (3.1%) as treatment-after-default cases whereas 4 (2.6 %) patients were not included in any categories. Average annual new TB rate and smear-positive TB rate were 86.5/105 and 17.4/105 person-years, respectively. In 12 of 31 smear-positive cases, time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was more than 30 days. Two multidrug-resistance TB cases were identified and two suspected outbreak episodes of TB had occurred during 3 years.
CONCLUSION
There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of new cases of TB between the general population aged 20 to 29 years and combat and auxiliary police in Korea.