Pulmonary tuberculosis in young Korean soldiers: Incidence, drug resistance and treatment outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and treatment outcomes of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in young soldiers of South Korea. DESIGN: From 2000 to 2004, all soldiers with a new diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) were enrolled in the study, based on the official records of the Armed Forces Medical Command. The demographic and clinical data of the cases were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 3115 TB cases were reported during the study period, of whom 2071 (66.5%) were reported as PTB. The annual incidence rates of PTB were 96.4 per 100 000 population in 2000, 89.3 in 2001, 67.6 in 2002, 60.2 in 2003, and 63.1 in 2004. A total of 270 patients diagnosed and treated at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital were analysed. Of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, 87.4% were susceptible to all available anti-tuberculosis drugs; 253 (93.7%) patients eventually completed initial anti-tuberculosis treatment. Among the patients with smear-positive PTB, the cure rate was 89.3% (100/112). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the incidence of PTB in Korean soldiers, although still high, was declining steadily. With good case management, the overall success rate of initial treatment was approximately 90%.