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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis
Published on: August 11, 2008
Tuberculosis among health care workers at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, 1988-2002
W Jiamjarasrangsi1, N Hirunsuthikul, P Kamolratanakul
1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. wjiamjar@hotmail.com
Setting:
It is still not well determined whether health care workers (HCWs) in developing countries-where background tuberculosis (TB) prevalence in the general population is high-have a higher risk of TB than other occupations.
Objective:
To examine the risk of TB among HCWs in an area where TB prevalence is high.
Design:
A cohort of 3959 HCWs at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand, was observed from 1988 to 2002.
Results:
The overall TB incidence rate was 188 per 100 000 person-years (py), with specific incidence rates of 77, 48 and 63/100 000 py, respectively, for confirmed, possible and self-reported TB cases. The highest risk work site was the emergency room, with rate ratios (RRs) of 10.4 (95%CI 3.0-44.7), 22.6 (95%CI 2.7-1041.2) and 9.4 (95%CI 1.5-99.1) for overall, confirmed and possible TB cases, respectively. The 11 TB cases in this area were 9 registered nurses, 1 nursing auxiliary and 1 housekeeper. The occupation of highest risk was nurse, with RRs of 2.4 (95%CI 0.9-9.1) for overall TB cases. However, only the increased RRs for the emergency room were statistically significant.
Conclusion:
The results of this study support the premise that certain groups of HCWs in developing countries are occupationally at increased risk of TB.
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