"One in six medical workers" TB latency "… 24% prevalence physician"



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Ilsan National Health Insurance Hospital, 1,655 people, including doctors and nurses

One in six doctors, nurses and other doctors working in hospitals were diagnosed with latent tuberculosis.
Latent TB refers to a state in which the TB bacteria has been infected but has not developed TB. Mycobacteria are not transmitted to others because they do not show symptoms and do not emit mycobacteria to the outside of my body. However, if the immune system weakens, it can cause tuberculosis.

The incidence of tuberculosis in latent tuberculosis is about 10%.

According to the latest scientific reports on the 16th, Ilsan National Health Insurance Hospital, Yoon Soo Park (Infectious Internal Medicine), Kang Junghoon (Surgery), Seo Jung Hoon (Department of Internal Medicine) 423 men and 1,222 women) were screened for latent TB infection, and the overall prevalence was 16%.

Nurses were interviewed by 777 nurses (47%), physicians 158 (10%), technicians 210 (13%), facilities management and badistants 331 (20% and 24 pharmacists (2%) Interferon-gamma secretion test (IGRA), which is more accurate than the skin reaction test (TST), has been used to diagnose latent tuberculosis.

The prevalence of latent TB by occupation was highest in 24% (38 patients) who had direct contact with patients. Followed by 22% (73) facility managers and badistants, 20% (41) technicians, 15% (24) executives, 12% (94) nurses and 4% pharmacists.

Experts point out that patients with respiratory diseases who have high rates of latent TB in medical staff are characterized by many hospitals. Mycobacterium tuberculosis usually spreads through the salivary glands that are secreted when the patient coughs, and the infection occurs in about 30% of the contacts.

The researchers found that the prevalence of latent TB among health care workers was high, but did not exceed the level of the general population. According to the CDC survey, the prevalence of latent TB in Korea varies greatly from 2.1% to 34% depending on the subjects surveyed.

However, the relative risk (TB) of latent TB among health care workers increases with age (2.2 times), with men (1.5 times), with active TB patients (1%). , 5 times) and with diabetes (2.8 times) The researchers badyzed.

The research team noted that contact with active TB patients was a risk factor for latent TB, suggesting that control measures for TB infection in hospitals are still insufficient [19459004 In fact, the rate of BCG vaccination against tuberculosis was 65% among the respondents.

Medical staff should be screened for TB every year, in accordance with the 2016 TB Prevention Act review. In addition, a single work visit is mandatory for screening of TB patients. latent TB infection.

In the paper, the researchers wrote, "Medical personnel have a high risk of tuberculosis infection and the onset of the disease at the hospital, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The relative risk of TB should be monitored. "

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(Seoul-Yonhap News)

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