Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Health Care Workers in South Korea: A Multicenter Study / 결핵및호흡기질환
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
; : 18-24, 2013.
Article
in En
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-121772
Responsible library:
WPRO
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We investigated the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among the health care workers (HCWs) and analyzed its risk factors in South Korea. METHODS: A standard questionnaire regarding the baseline demographics and risk factors for LTBI was given to each participant and tuberculin skin test (TST), QuantiFERON-TB GOLD In-Tube (QFT-GIT) assay, and chest radiography were performed. RESULTS: A total of 493 participants, 152 (30.8%) doctors and 341 (69.2%) nurses were enrolled in eight tertiary referral hospitals. The mean age of the subjects was 30.6 years old, and 383 (77.7%) were female. Of the 152 doctors, 63 (41.4%) and 36 (23.7%) were positive by TST and by QTF-GIT, respectively, and among the 341 nurses, 119 (34.9%) and 49 (14.4%) had positive TST and QFT-GIT results, respectively. Overall, the agreement between the two tests was 0.22 by the chance corrected proportional agreement rate (kappa coefficient) in 493 subjects. Experience of working in tuberculosis (TB)-related departments was significantly associated with positive LTBI test results by QFT-GIT assay, not by TST. In multivariate analysis, only age was independently associated with increased risk of a positive TST result, while age and experience of working in TB-related departments (odds ratio, 2.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-5.12) were independently associated with increased risk of a positive QFT-GIT result. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of LTBI was found among South Korean HCWs. Considering the association between the experience of working in TB-related departments and high risk of LTBI, QFT-GIT may be a better diagnostic test for LTBI than TST in HCWs.
Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
WPRIM
Main subject:
Thorax
/
Tuberculin
/
Tuberculosis
/
Skin Tests
/
Tuberculin Test
/
Demography
/
Prevalence
/
Multivariate Analysis
/
Surveys and Questionnaires
/
Risk Factors
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Etiology_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
Year:
2013
Type:
Article