Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB

SETTING: Hospitals in Japan with more than five TB isolation beds. OBJECTIVES: Approximately 4,000 cases of sputum smear-positive TB were reported in 2022, who were isolated in a TB ward at least until they became sputum smear-negative. However, some recalcitrant patients are difficult to isolate be...

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Main Authors: Y. Nagata, T. Zama, S. Hirao, M. Urakawa, M. Ota
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Union 2025-06-01
Series:Public Health Action
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Online Access:https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/pha/2025/00000015/00000002/art00005
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author Y. Nagata
T. Zama
S. Hirao
M. Urakawa
M. Ota
author_facet Y. Nagata
T. Zama
S. Hirao
M. Urakawa
M. Ota
author_sort Y. Nagata
collection DOAJ
description SETTING: Hospitals in Japan with more than five TB isolation beds. OBJECTIVES: Approximately 4,000 cases of sputum smear-positive TB were reported in 2022, who were isolated in a TB ward at least until they became sputum smear-negative. However, some recalcitrant patients are difficult to isolate because of their behaviour. This study aims to characterise recalcitrant patients with TB and determine why they left the hospitals. DESIGN: This was a descriptive study. We sent a self-administered questionnaire to the hospitals asking about recalcitrant inpatients with TB from April 2022 through March 2023. RESULTS: A total of 12 recalcitrant patients were identified, of whom 8 (66.7%) self-discharged, and the other 4 (33.3%) were discharged by the hospital. All were male with an average age of 58.9 years. The main reason why the patients were considered recalcitrant was related to psychiatric problems (41.7%), including 2 with possible dementia (16.7%). However, 3 (25.0%) patients verbally insulted or physically assaulted staff members and other patients. CONCLUSION: Although the number of recalcitrant patients was small, we recommend that there should be one or two TB facilities readily available for law enforcement officials to enforce isolation.
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spelling doaj-art-0672c3dd309948c59096768f47e3f4d22025-08-20T02:33:35ZengThe UnionPublic Health Action2220-83722025-06-01152717510.5588/pha.24.00485Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TBY. NagataT. ZamaS. HiraoM. UrakawaM. OtaSETTING: Hospitals in Japan with more than five TB isolation beds. OBJECTIVES: Approximately 4,000 cases of sputum smear-positive TB were reported in 2022, who were isolated in a TB ward at least until they became sputum smear-negative. However, some recalcitrant patients are difficult to isolate because of their behaviour. This study aims to characterise recalcitrant patients with TB and determine why they left the hospitals. DESIGN: This was a descriptive study. We sent a self-administered questionnaire to the hospitals asking about recalcitrant inpatients with TB from April 2022 through March 2023. RESULTS: A total of 12 recalcitrant patients were identified, of whom 8 (66.7%) self-discharged, and the other 4 (33.3%) were discharged by the hospital. All were male with an average age of 58.9 years. The main reason why the patients were considered recalcitrant was related to psychiatric problems (41.7%), including 2 with possible dementia (16.7%). However, 3 (25.0%) patients verbally insulted or physically assaulted staff members and other patients. CONCLUSION: Although the number of recalcitrant patients was small, we recommend that there should be one or two TB facilities readily available for law enforcement officials to enforce isolation.https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/pha/2025/00000015/00000002/art00005epidemiologytuberculosisjapan
spellingShingle Y. Nagata
T. Zama
S. Hirao
M. Urakawa
M. Ota
Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
Public Health Action
epidemiology
tuberculosis
japan
title Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
title_full Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
title_fullStr Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
title_full_unstemmed Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
title_short Difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious TB
title_sort difficulty of isolating recalcitrant patients with infectious tb
topic epidemiology
tuberculosis
japan
url https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/pha/2025/00000015/00000002/art00005
work_keys_str_mv AT ynagata difficultyofisolatingrecalcitrantpatientswithinfectioustb
AT tzama difficultyofisolatingrecalcitrantpatientswithinfectioustb
AT shirao difficultyofisolatingrecalcitrantpatientswithinfectioustb
AT murakawa difficultyofisolatingrecalcitrantpatientswithinfectioustb
AT mota difficultyofisolatingrecalcitrantpatientswithinfectioustb