Volume 14, Number 9—September 2008
Dispatch
Crack Cocaine and Infectious Tuberculosis
Alistair Story
, Graham Bothamley, and Andrew Hayward
, Graham Bothamley, and Andrew Hayward
Table 1
Univariate analysis of drug-using and non–drug-using patients with pulmonary TB in London, United Kingdom, 2003–2004*
| Variable | No known drug use, n = 833, no. (%) | Hard-drug user (unconfirmed crack cocaine user), n = 115, no. (%) | Hard-drug user (confirmed crack cocaine user), n = 22, no. (%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | <0.0001 | |||
| Male | 445 (54.1) | 99 (86.8) | 12 (54.6) | |
| Female |
377 (45.9) |
15 (13.2) |
10 (45.5) |
|
| Ethnicity | <0.0001 | |||
| White | 142 (17.1) | 54 (47.0) | 5 (22.7) | |
| Black African | 344 (41.5) | 25 (21.7) | 5 (22.7) | |
| Black Caribbean | 32 (3.9) | 15 (13.0) | 9 (40.9) | |
| South Asian | 244 (29.4) | 17 (14.8) | 0 | |
| Other |
68 (8.2) |
4 (3.5) |
3 (13.6) |
|
| Born in the United Kingdom | 162 (19.6) | 62 (54.9) | 14 (63.7) | <0.0001 |
| Previous TB | 78 (9.4) | 25 (21.7) | 5 (22.7) | <0.0001 |
| Previous TB past 2 years (relapsed) | 36 (4.3) | 19 (16.5) | 4 (18.2) | <0.0001 |
| Known HIV+ | 95 (11.4) | 9 (7.8) | 3 (13.6) | 0.478 |
| Delay in diagnosis >3 mo | 109 (13.1) | 19 (16.5) | 2 (9.1) | 0.499 |
| Sought treatment at ED | 126 (15.1) | 32 (27.8) | 10 (45.6) | <0.0001 |
| Cough during initial examination | 589 (70.7) | 99 (86.1) | 19 (86.40 | 0.001 |
| Sputum smear positive at diagnosis | 302 (36.3) | 68 (59.1) | 19 (86.4) | <0.0001 |
| MDR | 32 (3.8) | 7 (6.1) | 0 | 0.333 |
| Linked to known INH resistance outbreak | 9 (1.1) | 10 (8.7) | 11 (50.0) | <0.0001 |
| INH resistance (not outbreak) | 54 (6.5) | 11 (9.6) | 1 (4.5) | 0.783 |
| Treated with DOT from start | 74 (9.0) | 19 (16.5) | 6 (27.3) | 0.001 |
| Nonadherent to treatment in first 2 mo | 125 (15.0) | 59 (51.3) | 15 (68.2) | <0.0001 |
| Lost to follow-up | 19 (2.3) | 12 (10.4) | 6 (27.3) | <0.0001 |
| Homeless | 37 (4.4) | 22 (19.1) | 13 (59.1) | <0.0001 |
| Mental health problems | 28 (3.4) | 27 (23.5) | 9 (40.9) | <0.0001 |
| Imprisoned during current episode of TB | 9 (1.1) | 22 (19.1) | 14 (63.6) | <0.0001 |
*TB, tuberculosis; ED, emergency department; MDR, multidrug resistant; INH, isoniazid; DOT, directly observed therapy.
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