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Table 2 Description of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB cases among HCWs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (January 2006 - December 2010) (n = 84)

From: Tuberculosis among health care workers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a retrospective cohort analysis

Variable

Total

HCWs with drug-susceptible TB

HCWs with drug-resistant TB*

p-value

(n = 84)

n = 70

n = 14

 

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

 

Mean age in years (SD) (n = 75)

40.5 (9.0)

41.0 (9.4)

38.6 (7.1)

0.37

Range 25-62

Range 26-52

Sex

   

0.52

Female

64 (76)

53 (76)

11 (79)

 

TB cases by occupation** (n = 83)

    

Clinical

43 (52)

34 (49)

9 (64)

0.72

Support staff

24 (29)

21 (30)

3 (21)

 

Paramedical

10 (12)

8 (12)

2 (14)

 

Administrative

6 (7)

6 (9)

0

 

Work exposure/place of employment***

    

Outpatient department/casualty/PHC

23 (27)

19 (27)

4 (29)

1.00

General ward

24 (29)

21 (30)

3 (21)

0.75

Non-clinical area†

13 (15)

12 (17)

1 (7)

0.69

Pediatric ward

16 (19)

14 (20)

2 (14)

1.00

TB ward/MDR-TB ward

12 (14)

12 (17)

0

0.20

Maternity ward

7 (8)

3 (4)

4 (29)

0.01

Throughout the hospital

8 (10)

7 (10)

1 (7)

1.00

Operating theater

5 (6)

4 (6)

1 (7)

1.00

HIV status

    

HIV-negative

13 (15)

10 (14)

3 (21)

0.26

HIV-positive

20 (24)

19 (27)

1 (7)

 

HIV status not recorded

51 (61)

41 (59)

10 (71)

 

Previous history of TB

    

No

44 (52)

37 (53)

7 (50)

1.00

Yes

12 (14)

10 (14)

2 (14)

 

Not recorded in chart

28 (33)

23 (33)

5 (36)

 
  1. *13 MDR-TB cases and 1 XDR-TB case.
  2. **Administrative staff includes finance, human resources, management, data capturers, office clerks and ward clerks; paramedical staff includes lay counselors, radiographers, pharmacists, lab technicians, paramedics, mortuary attendants, dieticians, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists; support staff includes orderlies, cleaners, groundsman, maintenance, kitchen staff, laundry, and security; and clinical staff includes medical doctors/medical officers, nursing staff, and dentists.
  3. ***Not mutually exclusive – health care workers worked in more than one ward.
  4. †Non-clinical area includes laboratory, kitchen, laundry, administrative offices, stores/workshop, mortuary, outside, pharmacy, driving, and therapy.