Korean J Clin Pharm.  2018 Jun;28(2):95-100. 10.24304/kjcp.2018.28.2.95.

Analysis of the Use of Medical Institutions and Prescription Drugs for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Geriatric Patients

• Moon SJ
• Lee YS
• Rhew K

• KMID: 2416667
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24304/kjcp.2018.28.2.95

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can affect many organs of the body but usually affects the lungs. The prevalence of TB in Korea is considerably higher than that in other countries with similar economic levels, and is much higher in elderly people. Pharmacotherapy is important in the treatment of TB and requires relatively high compliance for a prolonged duration.
METHODS
We analyzed sample data of elderly patients obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We used logistic regression analysis and frequency analysis to identify factors that could affect prevalence of TB in elderly patients, compliance with prescribed medication regimes in these patients, and use of medical institutions. Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, version 7 (KCD-7) was used to diagnose pulmonary TB, and medications were analyzed using Korean standardized drug classification codes.
RESULTS
1,276,331 patients were analyzed in the sample of the elderly population, and 16,658 TB patients were included in the study. The mean age of the TB patients was 76.19 years (SD 6.899). A total of 699 patients were prescribed isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, or pyrazinamide at least once. Of these, 352 (50.4%) were prescribed all four medications and 101 (14.4%) were prescribed only isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol. The mean duration of prescription was 28.75 days (SD 36.13).
CONCLUSION
In the elderly population, old age and poor socioeconomic conditions correlated with TB prevalence. Most patients did not meet the criteria for effective pharmacotherapy of TB.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; elderly; rifampin; isoniazid; ethambutol

MeSH Terms

Aged
Classification
Communicable Diseases
Compliance
Drug Therapy
Ethambutol
Humans
Insurance, Health
Isoniazid
Korea
Logistic Models
Lung
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Prescription Drugs*
Prescriptions*
Prevalence
Pyrazinamide
Rifampin
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*
Ethambutol
Isoniazid
Prescription Drugs
Pyrazinamide
Rifampin