Tuberculosis and alcoholism in Croatia

Alcoholism and tuberculosis represent very difficult problem in treatment because both illnesses require complex treatment which cannot be adequately obtained on classic wards. Tuberculosis in the last 50 years showed the constant decline of incidence--in Croatia (4,500,000 inhabitants) from approximately 20,000 to approximately 2000 cases per year. This study compares preliminary results of AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) in the group of tuberculosis patients with the diagnosis of alcoholism (group 1) and in the group of tuberculosis patients who had not the diagnosis of alcoholism (group 2) and who all were admitted to the Hospital for pulmonary diseases and tuberculosis Klenovnik where is an organised unique ward management for tuberculosis and alcoholic patients functioning for the last 25 years on the basic principles of therapeutic community. Their average AUDIT score was 25.44--very high, and all patients scored above 8, what indicated on harmful and hazardous drinking. Additionally, in the group of patients admitted for hospital treatment of tuberculosis without diagnosis alcoholism there were more than 50% of harmful or hazardous alcohol drinkers who ranged 8 or more on AUDIT score, what could indicate that modern identification of hazardous drinking (for example using AUDIT) should be used in all pulmonary and tuberculosis wards. Patients for whom diagnostic procedure shows that they drink harmfully or hazardously should be treated simultaneously for tuberculosis and alcohol use disorders. Because of hidden alcohol problems the group sociotherapy should be organised for all patients at all wards for treatment of tuberculosis in a common and special alcohologic way.